In the museum catalogue
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Steer Horn Armchair
Artist unknown1870–80
- Attribution
- Artist unknown (American, 19th century) Texas
- Medium
- Horn, silk, brass, and upholstery
- Physical dimensions
- H.: 92.7 cm (36 1/2 in.)
- Credit line
- Gift of Jamee J. and Marshall Field
CATALOGUE RECORD
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Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
Although furniture made from the horns of steer, elk, and deer is rooted in European tradition—it is known to have been used in 16th-century German hunting lodges—it reached the height of its popularity in America in the 1880s. Not only did chairs like this one evoke the romanticism and pioneering spirit of the American West, they also employed innovative, exotic materials that were prized during the Aesthetic movement. Lavishly upholstered, this diminutive example was most likely intended for a parlor.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0