


Carved horn products are commonly found at folk arts festivals in Hungary.
Photo by Ágnes Fülemile, Balassi Institute/Hungarian Cultural Center
Shepherds often fashioned horns into vessels and then decorated them with carved motifs.
Photo courtesy of Museum of Gyöngyös
Herdsmen have long used animal horns to make various tools, utensils, and decorative objects. They typically leave horns in their natural shape to make drinking gourds, but may also saw the horns apart to create smaller objects, such as salt or match holders. For added decoration, they carve geometric or floral ornamentations and color them yellow with nitric acid.