Powder horn, silver, with coral beads and the original hanging

In the course of the 18th and 19th century, Western Europe exerted increasing influence on Ottoman art. The embossed, chased areas on this powder horn feature the magnificent floral ornamentation and curved shapes that are typical of the late Baroque and Rococo. The hanging and the fitting with large coral beads, in contrast, are more in keeping with a traditional Ottoman style.

The powder horn is said to have been acquired by Lord Cathcart when he was British ambassador to Russia (1768-1771), after which he presented it to the writer Horace Walpole.