Hair Pin
A long curved ivory hair pin, from Namibia, with a carved head.
Hair Pin
A long, carved, ivory, curving hair pin, from Namibia, which has a turned head.
Hairbrush decorated with Mother of Pearl
A hairbrush with long fine bristles and a wooden handle. The back is decorated with mother of pearl forming a diamond pattern with alternating white and coloured diamonds.
Horn beaker
This tapered beaker is decorated with a scene of a coach and a manor house. This type of beaker had the advantage of being light, washable, and inexpensive. Its transparency highlights the decoration, ...
Horn beaker
This tapered beaker is decorated with a scene of a coach and various buildings, including an inn, with a leaf design around the rim. This type of beaker had the advantage of being light, washable, and ...
Horn beaker
This tapered beaker is decorated with a coach, buildings and trees, and with initials I.P. and J.F. on the side. This type of beaker had the advantage of being light, washable, and inexpensive. Its transparency ...
Horn beaker - rotation 1
This tapered beaker is decorated with a scene of a coach and a gentleman riding his horse, with buildings beyond. This type of beaker had the advantage of being light, washable, and inexpensive. Its transparency ...
Horn beakers - four examples
L to R:
Beaker with a coach and a gentleman riding his horse, with buildings beyond
Beaker with a coach and various buildings, including an inn, and a leaf design around the rim
Beaker with a ...
Ink Stand
This ink stand, decorated with ivory or bone strips, has two ink pots and a quill cutter for cutting and shaping quills.
Iron knife
This knife is unusual, because it has a long bone handle that extends halfway down the blade. This means that it feels a bit like a scalpel when it is held. Could this have been a special tool used by ...
Ivory Ring
A ring of ivory (possibly boar’s tusk) used to stiffen a bag or purse. Two bronze plates and three rivets applied to the ring are probably repairs rather than decorative embellishments.
6th Century ...
Knife
This Arab knife and sheath is from Sudan. It has a bone handle with a curving metal blade. The sheath is decorated with black, white, silver and gold beads, and cowrie shells. There are many possible ...
Knife
A knife, which was made in Sheffield. It has a bone handle and the blade is stamped.
Knife
A carved ivory knife, from Namibia.
Knife
A carved ivory knife, from Namibia. The handle and blade were carved together and the blade of the knife is pointed.
Knife
A carved ivory knife, from Namibia.
Knife
A carved ivory knife, from Namibia.
Libation Cup
This is a Chinese loving cup, or libation cup. It is made from a Rhinoceros horn that has been shaped like a lotus flower. Libation cups are supposed to be able to detect poison. They do this by sweating ...