This small hunting or bullet bag has a small powder horn with it made from pressed horn in the flat European style. The horn has an oval wood base and a facetted spout that bears some geometric incised carving and a very clear date of “1781,” with two sets of initials, written one above the other: “E O S” at top and “O S S” at bottom, with one letter of each set carved into adjoining facets. The body of the horn looks like there is some shallow incised writing, but we cannot quite decipher it with what appears to be writing blending with natural scratches at points.

The oval wood base shows a narrow edge that is decorated with small pins or tacks and small inset bone panels that are mostly gone, but with one narrow diamond still in place. A small iron loop has the remains of a leather strap that either served as a shoulder sling or to link the horn with the bag. Another short section is tied around the upper part of the horn just below the flared base of the spout. The bottom of the base plug is clearly carved “1786” with a “3” set off to the right.

The bag is leather with a simple flap slit to fasten over a flat one-piece button sewn the front of the bag. The button is brass, with wavy stripes across the front. The bag has a simple band of leather sewn across the upper reverse that retains a ring at either end. These connect with a leather shoulder sling is complete but shows some partial tears and one spot where it is knotted, likely to remedy a break, though it could have been to shorten it slightly. A small brass powder measure is tied to the strap by a short thong.

The bag is in very good shape. The strap across its back is pulling away from its stitching at one end, but is still in place. The horn shows an interesting repair near along its longer, lower edge. A oval piece of leather had been carefully inset over the edge, likely to shield the body of the horn from wear. This has been pierced by finger-sized hole and there is some charring visible. It looks very much like a careless fellow sportsman accidentally shot the bearer or that the owner himself was carelessly loading his weapon when it discharged. Either occurrence would have been memorable to say the least.

This is a nice late 18^th century set. We see bags and horns from the 1820s with some regularity, but few this early. The horn is certainly European in style, though that does not necessarily indicate a place of origin or use. We note in passing that the flat brass button bears thirteen alternating dark and bright stripes.  [sr] [ph:m]

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