Bugle horn, copper with brass and leather mounts, ca. 1660, Germany.

'Copper, in semicircular form, with brass and leather mounts. Two loops and a ring for carrying strap'.

Anthony Baines, Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-Keyboard Instruments (London, 1978), p. 108.

Given by G. Moffat, Esq.

This instrument was presented to the South Kensington Museum by G. Moffat, Esq., in 1872. It was described as English, 17th century.

When this instrument was given to the South Kensington Museum in 1872, it was entered in the Registered description as "English, 17th C.", and Engel concurred in his catalogue. However, Baines does not give this instrument a date. He may have suspected that it had been made considerably more recently. Jeremy Montague (Oxford, Bate Collection) thought the horn could be German, but cast no doubts on the date. In the opinion of A. North (former Senior Curator, Metalwork Dept., given orally 4th Dec. 2007), however, the horn dates from about 1660, and the brass mounts are typical of base metal objects of this period.

The semi-circular bugle horn was fitted with leather straps, and originally used by huntsmen. Known in Germany as the halbmond (literally, half-moon or crescent), this instrument was adopted by German regiments early on in the Seven Years War (1756–63), and by English regiments before the end of it. This example is thought to be English, and the decoration on the mounts and mouthpiece shows that it dates from about 1660.

810-1872