|
Horn Furniture - Hatracks
Hatracks made from cattle horns were
very popular in the Victorian Age.
They ranged from small to large, from plain to intricate.
The earliest known hatrack appeared at a New Jersey fair in 1867 and was made from buffalo
horns.
Below are a few examples.
|
Popular style hatrack made
by Wenzel Friedrich in the 1880's. 38" x 44"
With his horseshoe-shaped frame and diamond
mirror.
Still fitted with its ten original acorn-shaped finials made of horn, an appointment often
seen on Friedrich's furniture. Truthfully, it's a little rare to find all of the acorns
intact as they were separately applied when new with hide glue, which weakened over time
and allowed the acorns to slip off. A few other makers also applied acorn-shaped finials
made of horn.
See more Friedrich/Buckhorn furniture here.
|
Herman Metz Hatrack |
The Herman Metz buffalo
horn hatrack shown to the left is possibly the most splendid hatrack ever made. Metz
shaped bows and human hands from horn. He added rosettes and pockets of horn, and 46
hand-carved horn acorns.
A classic piece of American
folk art!
To see this piece in
more detail and to learn more about the Herman Metz collection. |
Beveled Glass Heart-Shaped
Mirror Texas Made
Information leads me to think this
hatrack may be an item from the Buckhorn, but I can't prove it, yet. The Buckhorn
would often use existing items and add horns to them. This mirror has the section of horn
with a cutout star and quarter moon, which is a nearly identical decoration as is found on
my halltree which was purchased in south Texas and which we also suspect to be a Buckhorn
item.
|
Massive Hatrack.
Horns have brass tips.
One of two identical hatracks
in this collection. On a thick walnut shield whose horns are larger than are found on most
horned mirrors.
|
Star Hatrack with Round
Mirror.
Made of Oak.
|
Buffalo Hatrack from
Goldsoll & Sons, a Kansas City
Stockyards Commission Firm
|
Leavenworth, Kansas Hatrack.
Mounted 1892.
|
Hatrack of buffalo horns and
trimmed with decorative fringe.
|
An example of an Alan
Rogers' Hatrack.
With horns from the 1890's and the
1930's.
Decorated with a raised and colorful Indian chief.
|
Buffalo and Cattle Horn
Arrangement
of the 1890's.
During the traildriving days and into
the early 1900's, the making of items from horn reached a high popularity. Furniture
companies added a sideline of horn furniture. Individuals, some on a large and others on a
small scale, began to make chairs, tables, halltrees, hatracks and other items from cattle
and buffalo horns. As thousands of horned cattle were shipped to various markets, their
horns became available and were made use of by individuals wanting to have a part in the
current horn fad. The finished products were as varied as the imagination of the makers.
|
| |
|
|