Steer Horn Armchair
Artist unknown
1870–80
Medium
Horn, silk, brass, and upholstery
Dimensions
H.: 92.7 cm (36 1/2 in.)
Classification
seating
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
154236
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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...