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Samuel Dudley's Powder Horn

1777, December

  • Powder horn engraved with the name Samuel Dudley and a unicorn visible on one side
  • Close-up view of a unicorn engraved on the side of Dudley's powder horn
  • Close-up view of two men sowrdfighting, engraved on the side of Dudley's powder horn
  • Close-up view of a bird, a man holding a bow and arrow, and animals resembling a deer and a pig, etched into the side of Dudley's powder horn

This powder horn was engraved for a New England soldier serving in Warwick, Rhode Island, in December 1777. The engraved decoration, including a whimsical unicorn, a pair of moose and two sword-wielding figures with the motto "Try it Out," is attributed to Jacob Gay, a prolific powder horn engraver whose surviving work spans the years 1758 to 1787.

Details

Item/Title: Powder Horn
Maker: Attributed to Jacob Gay
Place: Warwick, Rhode Island
Date: 1777
Materials: Bovine Horn, Wood, Brass
Credit: Museum of the American Revolution, 2003.00.0117
Type: Object

Sources

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