In the British Museum sits one of the most extraordinary objects of the medieval world — an Oliphant horn, carved from ivory top to bottom with intricate interlaced animals, foliage, and figures. These great carved horns were prestige objects: gifts between kings, relics of the hunt, symbols of power and status. To own one was to announce yourself.
This drinking horn carries that same carving — every panel, every motif faithfully reproduced, now on a functional 500ml drinking vessel made from ethically sourced ox horn. Not ivory. But the carving is faithful, and the horn is real.
Designed by Paul at Bushman Survival and crafted to his specification.
About the Oliphant
Oliphants — from the Old French for elephant — were great ivory hunting horns produced in southern Italy and Sicily between the 10th and 12th centuries, often by Arab craftsmen working under Norman patronage. They were among the most prized objects in medieval Europe, passed between rulers as diplomatic gifts and preserved in cathedral treasuries for centuries. The Oliphant in the British Museum is one of the finest surviving examples, its surface covered in carved hunting scenes and interlaced ornament of exceptional quality.
The most famous Oliphant in legend is the horn of Roland — the great paladin of Charlemagne who, at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, refused to sound his horn for help until it was too late. When he finally blew it, the sound carried thirty leagues. Charlemagne heard it and wept.
Details
- Approximately 500ml capacity
- Ethically sourced ox horn — not ivory
- Intricately carved top to bottom — exact replica of the British Museum Oliphant carving
- Every horn is unique in size, shape and colour
- Made in South Wales
Perfect For
- Serious collectors and display pieces
- Viking and medieval reenactment
- Feasting and mead halls
- Extraordinary gifts for history enthusiasts
Ethically sourced ox horn — every horn is unique. The carving is faithful to the original; the material is not ivory.
Also available: The Oliphant Blowing Horn — British Museum Replica Carving — the matching war horn from the same carving.
