Cow Hearing Horn (Ear Trumpet) This early cow hearing horn ear trumpet probably dates from around 1850 or so. There are no manufacturer's marks on it. It measures 9" long and 2 3/16" in diameter (22.8 x 5.7 cm). It is very light for its size, weighing only 1.4 oz. (40 g). |  | Click picture for larger view | | |   | | | |
| This cow hearing horn consists of 5 pieces—a piece of brass-plated tin to extend the bell end, the cow horn itself, another brass-plated piece of tin to extend the tip end, a tin fitting to join the brass-plated tip piece to the ear tip, and a porcelain ear tip.
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| This cow hearing horn would have been quite attractive when it was new before the brass plating began to corrode.
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| Close-up view of the bell end of the cow hearing horn
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| Close-up view of the inside of the bell showing how the brass-plated tin rim fastened to the cow horn. You can see the tip of the tiny nail poking through at the right. Only 3 tiny nails were used to hold the metal piece to the cow horn.
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Close-up view of the outside of the bell end showing the design on the piece of brass-plated tin. The brass-plated tin piece overlapped the cow horn by about ¼" (0.6 cm).
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| Close-up view of the joint at the bell end of the cow horn showing the join. The join was held in place by one tiny nail at the cow horn end and was soldered at the outer end.
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| As was common years ago, a ring was used so you could thread a lanyard through it. That way when you were not using the cow hearing horn it would be close by—hanging around your neck on the lanyard.
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| Close-up view of the joint of the brass-plated piece of tin at the ear tip end of the cow horn. It was held in place by just two tiny nails.
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| Close-up view of the ear tip of the cow hearing horn. The ear tip was made of white porcelain. It seems like it was glued into the metal fitting. Porcelain ear tips were used on very early ear trumpets.
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| Close-up view of the hole in the end of the porcelain ear tip of the cow hearing horn.
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