Original 19th Century Ottoman Empire Powder Horn with Plug and Powder Cutoff Original Items

Original Item. Only One Available. In the 17th Century the Ottoman Empire really dominated the Middle East and became a real threat to Europe. In the 1680s they laid siege to Vienna, which certainly attracted the attention of all the Western European monarchies. By the end of the 19th Century they controlled most of the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt and further west. They were sophisticated and well organised and came to grief only by taking sides with the Central Powers of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War.

The powder horn measures roughly 20 1/2 inches long around the outer curve, or 12 3/4 inches straight across, and is is fit with a combination of brass, copper and iron. It definitely looks to have had some possible repairs and modifications over its many years of existence. It has two small metal rings for a shoulder strap, and unlike most we see, this horn is set up with a spout at the larger end, built into the wooden plug. This still has a stopper in it, but more importantly, there is also a lever attached to a cutoff on the interior, so the flow of powder out of the horn can be controlled. This is definitely not something we typically see on powder horns from this era, and is definitely a point of interest!

Condition is very nice, though it definitely looks to have suffered damage and cracking in the past, some of which was covered with additional metal pieces. There are also definitely some visible cracks in the horn, so it was probably dropped at some point, and would definitely no longer hold powder effectively.

A lovely Ottoman powder horn that definitely saw long service, ready to research and display as part of your Ottoman collection!