Antique 17th Century Eastern European Hungarian Gun Powder Horn Flask

An exceptional, antique 17th century, Eastern European,gun powder-flask with a staghorn body of characteristic forked type, fitted with a horn nozzle and two suspension rings.
The outer side is finely engraved with scrimshaw decoration, with oak leaves and geometric patterns, and in the center, adorned with a sun with rotating rays.
During the 17th century, flasks of this type were made with similar patterns and decorations in many Eastern European countries, such as the Kingdom of Hungary, which included Veszprém County, Transylvania, Slovakia, and Croatia (which in the 17th-18th centuries were part of the Kingdom of Hungary).
Such flasks were also popular in Serbia, the Principality of Moldavia, the Principality of Wallachia, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which included present-day Ukraine.

REFERENCES:
1."Staghorn Powder-Flasks" by Bela Borsos, pp.40-50, pl. 4
2."Régi magyar fegyverek" by Dr. Kalmar Janos, page 236 Fig 199.
3. "Занатско оружје Балкана XVII -XIX век Отворена изложба Војног музеја у Аранђеловцу. Zanatsko oružje Balkana: XVII-XIX vek." Military Museum in Arandjelovac.2002
4. "Вожд Карађорђе отац Србије Vožd Karađorđe: otac Srbije Catalog" Editor: Dr Mirko Peković. Museum of Republic of Srpska

We will also provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.

A related Hungarian powder-flask from the Katalin Kádár Lynn collection was displayed at the San Diego CA Mingei International Museum in the exhibition: BETWEEN EAST AND WEST– Folk Art Treasures of Romania, Aug 1, 2010 - Apr 3, 2011.

MEASUREMENTS:
Overall length: 27 cm (10.63 inches).
Width: 20 cm (7.87 inches).

CONDITION: In original condition, showing its age and use with a lovely old glossy patina. Minor chips on end caps.