A Success! – 2022 Auction of the Masters – 25th Annual Meeting/Horn Fair

March 15, 2022 UPDATE:
By all accounts, the 25th Anniversary Horn Fair and Annual Meeting was a success, which includes the Auction of the Masters (round two).
We raised over 7 thousand dollars for the Guild. Thank you to all that participated to make the auction a success.

-Your Executive Committee

In 2016, the Honourable Company of Horners celebrated its 20th year of being the leading organization in the research, preservation and education of the art of hornwork. One of the highlights of that year was the “Auction of the Masters”. The auction, which involved all of the members who had achieved the prestigious status of Master Horner (except the late Ron Ellert) showcased a wonderful assortment of hand crafted horn items. Each item bore a commemorative “touchmark” linking all of the items to this special event.
Over the past five years, the Guild has grown and changed and it has added seven new Master Horners to its ranks. How does one become a Master Horner you ask??? Members must demonstrate a superlative level of ability in carving, heating & pressing, turning, engraving, and integrating woods and metals with cow horn by presenting three horn objects. They must also give an original written and oral presentation to the HCH at an annual meeting or to another accredited organization on some aspect of horn working or its history. As you can see, it’s no easy feat to become a Master Horner!
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the Guild has decided to once again celebrate the skill of its Master Horners, by again showcasing their work through a similar event. All seven new Masters agreed to donate their time and skills to create a horn item of their choice, in their own style. Each was asked to incorporate the specially designed 25th Anniversary touchmark, somewhere on their item. Some latitude and artistic expression was given to the artisans in the fulfillment of the touchmark.
As you can see, they did not disappoint with their creativity and talent. The seven items below will be auctioned off at the HCH’s 25th Anniversary Horn Fair on March 4th and 5th, 2022.

Clinton Byers of Lenior, NC: A unique, curled Scottish snuff mull made in an early 1780’s style from the tip of a Highland Cattle horn. This mull features a simple lid with a handmade copper “butterfly” type hinge. The creation of this particular mull was chronicled by Clint during his Masters presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting and is featured in Part 3: Curling the Horn, of his article “The Scottish Pocket Mull: A study in its origins, evolution, and manufacture”, as published in the Horn Book.

John DeWald of Pennsdale, PA: A delicate all horn beaker with horn handle and rivets. The cartouche was inspired by the HCH’s 10th Anniversary tee-shirt designed by Willy Frankfurt The script inside was also changed to reflect the Guild’s 25th Anniversary.

Edward Long of Bethlehem, PA: A striking pressed bison horn with flats on the front and back. It incorporates an elegant 2-piece applied tip, turned out if whitetail antler with a yellow pine spout plug. All parts are pinned with copper and the base is natural bone.

Walter Mabry of Jackson, MS: An excellent example of a horn in the Tansel family style. It features a hand carved, applied spout and a lathe turned, hardwood maple plug with strap attachment. The ageing and accents were accomplished with varying strengths of Aqua Fortis.

Rex Reddick of Denison, TX: A wonderfully crafted, traditional style walking stick of curly maple in a tapered octagon form. It features a turned, pear wood top with 3 horn bands encompassing a “cup” engraved with the cartouche of the HCH’s 25th Anniversary. This, along with the two piece horn tip is reminiscent of the various parts of a powder horn.

Tim Sanner of Rockwood, PA: An intriguing double candle holder in his own original design. The main body is comprised of rounded horn, engraved in the style of John Bush and includes the HCH Anniversary logo. The cap and bottom are made of hand turned sapele wood. The adjustable arm, also made of sapele, is threaded onto a dowel of maple wood and threaded for the arm’s height adjustment. To finish the design, tin cups hold beeswax candles.

Rick Sheets of Durham, NC: A beautiful, neutral curved powder horn with engraving inspired by Richard Cresey, also known as “The Hellhorse Engraver”. The horn has a low cherry dome butt with incised design and a light artificial patina. It comes with a Polizzi woven strap and a display stand.

The public is welcome to attend this event at no charge and we’d like to offer a special invite to our friends of the NMLRA!