What am I?
Good morning all,
Can someone please help me ID the who, what, where, when, etc. of this item besides the obvious (belt)?
It's quit small in total length (26 inches) and made of very brittle and stiff leather and brass. The symbolism within the buckle almost appears armorial-like (hound, crossed rifle & sword, lyre harp, oak leaves, etc.). The chained horn is actually a whistle. Can you all please help? Thank you all in advance!
8 comments
eoma689485
·6 months agoAt 26 inches the "belt" might be:
A cross‑body strap
A baldric accessory strap
A parade or band uniform strap
A whistle‑hanger strap used by drill teams
jbbowers12012
·6 months agoThis may be a fox hunters arm band From horse-back the the dog tender alerts the the other hunters (also on horse-back) when the dogs have "jumped" a fox & the chase begins. I Think - Maybe.
lacemaker3
·6 months agoUnless it's a lot bigger than it looks, it is much too small to be used for fox hunting. Only the huntsman is supposed to use the horn. Although the master of foxhounds may carry one, they don't normally use the horn unless they are also acting as the huntsman. The horn is either in a case attached to the saddle, or tucked into the front of the huntsman's coat, between the buttons. Rarely, a huntsman in North America may use a cow horn, which could be carried on a strap over the shoulder and across the chest.
OP says this is a whistle, not a horn, and whistles aren't used in fox hunting. So I think it is pretty small.
If I had to guess on this, I would say it is a belt from a child's fancy dress outfit, from the late 19th or early 20th century.
jbbowers12012
·6 months agoDog whistle??
le-5262
·6 months agoIf it isn't the right size for wearing...
could it possibly be part of a saddle?
jbbowers12012
·6 months agoMaybe over one shoulder to under the opposite arm?
lacemaker3
·6 months agoHow long is the whistle?
It is made similar to a hunting horn, but it I think it is probably a lot smaller. Hunting horns are usually about 9 inches long, plus or minus an inch or so. The length of a horn affects the tone or note that it produces, so they can't be much smaller than that. Some hunting horns have a mouthpiece like a trumpet or cornet, and some have a reed. But even the reed horns sound more like a small trumpet, not high and shrill, like a whistle. A reed horn may be shorter, about 6 1/2 inches.
This doesn't look like real fox hunting accessories, but it was obviously supposed to look similar to them.
c*me*4*lefton*info
·6 months agoI few comments/questions about your intriguing object.
You state the length, can you be certain you have the entire length of the original object? 26" is easily explained (for a belt for example) if part of the belt is missing?
What is the length of the chain on the horn/whistle? Obviously, when attached to a person the chain has to be long enough for a person to blow the horn. Length of chain may offer clues about where on a persons body this may be attached.
The back of the metal buckle may offer clues (if visible) as to how it was made. I am not certain if it is pictured above (or even if it is possible to photograph).
My (uneducated) opinion, solely from what I can see in your photos, a hunting artifact, likely to go around a person's waist.