Huntsman & Horn Silver Pendant

This detailed silver pendant is a must-have for fox hunting afficianados. It pictures a mounted huntsman sounding a call on his large horn. It is part of our Sporting Horses Collection.

Different calls were used to inform both the hounds and fellow riders about what was happening in the field and what action to take. The horn was used because it could be heard over longer distances than the human voice. Their use goes back to the middle ages, when they were made of animal horn. The round horn shown here came later and was designed to fit over the huntsman’s shoulder to keep his hands free for riding.

And here is an interesting bit of trivia: the French horn owes its origin to the round hunting horn. In the 17th century, operas often included hunting scenes and hunters would play their horns during these parts of the story. From this early inclusion in the orchestra, the horn was fine tuned and by the 1830s the modern French horn with three valves had been invented and was firmly entrenched in the brass section of the modern orchestra.

You can order a chain for it when you check out — you’ll see our most popular options next to the items in your shopping cart– and a bigger selection of chains and clasps can be found here.

Note: Your handmade piece may vary slightly from the one pictured as no two are exactly alike.