Ox horn is used in marquetry works and in cabinet-making. After having removed the point of the horn which is the full part being used to make handles of knives or pipes, the trunk of the cone then is heated then opened, unrolled and put flat in a press. After cleaning the horn, the transparent part is removed from the more opaque one, which enables to have a greater translucidity. Its clearness is then obtained by sandpapering and polishing both faces.
The horn was used in furniture especially at the end of the XVIIème century, to cover drawings or paintings which were stuck on the frames of pieces of furniture. Horn’Sheets joined together make it possible to form large surfaces allowing the visibility of the decoration all the while protecting it. The transparency of the horn makes it possible to stick them onto a coloured basis.
The horn is a natural material whose properties make it possible to use the transparency in creation on furniture as well as on lamps.
Unrolled horn
Coloured horn
Side table « Taurus », horn & gold, Aisthésis
Bibliography :
Ramond, Pierre, Chefs d’œuvre des marqueteurs, Tome I, Ed. H. Vial, 1994, p. 36
