The cow's horn
Bosnia, the 2nd half of the 19th century
cow's horn
cutting, scraping, drilling

 

length = 25 cm

 

POH-433/1920
The Collection of Musical instruments by Franjo Ksaver Kuhač

Description

The cow’s horn is made of cow horn, buffalo horn, or ox horn. This is the procedure: the horn is cut off of cattle’s head, cleaned (using dry grass) inside and out, and a part of the tip is cut so a mouthpiece can be inserted, or simply to make a hole through which air can be blown. The hole horn is scraped to make it as smooth as possible.

Note

This horn has no playing holes so various tones are obtained by overblowing. The horns are made by shepherds. If there is a tin part on it, the tin part is usually made by a tinsmith. The horn was used to wake working people in the morning and to announce the time when they have to go to work. The shepherds can communicate with each other using the horn when they are near a river or canal, and this is called speaking into the horn.