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Rudard, thank you for that very informative information. just seamed strange that they were made of all brass or copper and some are horn & brass. just wondering,? I guess that horns were a universal item for a powder horn?
 
Dear Toot. Horn has ideal propertys to keep powder in, its light or best if light .Is strong, waterproof and will about melt before its destroyed by heat and it sits by your side left or right according to its natural shape & how the user prefers it .These particular Moroccan region horns are from cattle that don't twist noticeably the caps are usually iron or brass the size I think suites them as a magazine &' field use' ( Read mountains & desert but they do have fields ) The only ones from that region Iv.e seen had the cast brass horns genarally a bit smaller . their origin and dates I don't know but there where many . .Any copper or brass flask seem to follow the earlier pressed Lant horn shapes , pear shape mostly but all sorts of novel materials got used Tortoise shell , Camel scrotums, Sea shells ! ect ect according to whims or practalitys .. That's quite a dissertation . Iv'e left out Stag horns most species shed annually but Chital or Axis deer shed bi annually so the center isn't pithy but just a small vain hole . No good for powder horns but esteemed by cutlers for' Best' carveing or large knives like Bowies .

I once worked in a garage that had had a fire , On the wall was a powder horn full of gunpowder the heat had melted the horn so you could see the powder grains .Now that's some heat ! yet it hadn't blown up .That's one deservedly lucky fireman.
I say garage, it was more a workshop who keeps cars in a garage anyway !
Regards Rudyard
 
Rudyard, thank you as always in taking the time to inform the uninformed , me. in a very interesting subject, as always, toot.
 
Here is the "Beehive" style flask often associated with these Moroccan muskets. This one is typical with a wood body covered with leather and studs and a bone spout, missing it's plug. It's in good enough condition to be usable today.

A pic of the Moroccan powder horn and smaller priming flask. Both authentic to the period. The decorated, round brass flask on the left is an early 20th Century tourist item (most of this style you see today are). It's made better than most of the later ones. But the hole in the spout does not go through the body of the flask.

It's often difficult to tell the tourist items from the genuine period ones since they were in use for a long time. But experienced collectors can usually detect the difference.

Rick
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Thank you Rick your a gem .The larger Horn is I think Equatorial West African & though it seems to be able to carry powder its ungainly shape might be for some other purpose possibly' Mooti' / magic? ( I learned not to allways look for logic) ,It originally had rawhide bands & the whole covered in thin leather and carefull quill work but mostly this was lost but this sort of work is very West Coast Africa . The Brass horn would seem N. W. Africa what period & where made I have no clear idea possible made in France for that market?.
Unlike the repaired cow horn based typically suiting the Moroccan Kabyle's .I bought it in Casablanca described as ' Berber'.but these survive in considerable numbers and vary greatly in their artwork & finish according to taste & the price factor reasons .What they do exibit is a double side of decoration ,the engraveing & piercings vary on each side. The two rivet heads secure a brass patch to cover a crack I picked it as it showed the long use of it .And I have seen such guns still in use in 1965 in the north central border region of Algeria at a small oasis' Hamlet'? about a day north of Adrar . The truck Ide hitched a ride on presumably had relations to what seemed like a wedding or some such celibrations punctuated by fireing of old ML pistols by the men while the Ladies danced . Meals of sticky dates goat meat & Cuss Cuss off brass trays sat on carpets on the sand floor very memorable strieght out of how' Nazareth' was described to us at school ,mud walls flat roofs of riven date palm nothing you couldn't load onto a Camel for furniture, Priceless memory for me .
Rudyard
 
Rather delayed.
Dear Toot. Regarding the shape I can only speculate as to the shapes other that such a shape was how cow horns grew . The small end had a rolled leather plug or a cap in some cases but though the desert regions didn't have much water problems it do's rain in other regions .All we can really conclude is that they managed to use them effectively, When I used mine for experiment I had a 410 case worked fine for a plug and a measure ,( Er " Theyed have used them if they had em ? !"). They are suspended by cords and if on Horse or Camel they could carry the horns lower than the more under the arm as you would if walking .They wore robe like clothing & might have used metal cartridge boxes like other regions of the Islamic World but this is speculation. The long guns at least could be loaded from the saddle of either beast by placing the butt on the ground (providing the transport went along with that plan ).
Regards Rudyard
 
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