Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
By Arent Lambertsz Versteege
Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
Drinking Horn of the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem
The drinking horn played a prominent role at the parties, gatherings and other ceremonies of guilds. Members took turns taking a sip from it, to strengthen their bond and their solidarity with each other. The more beautiful and more expensive the drinking horn, the more it could be flaunted. This drinking horn belonged to the Guild of St. Hubert in Haarlem, and the design for it was created by Haarlem artist Salomon de Bray. It is clear that the horn belonged to a hunter’s guild: the shape is that of a hunting horn, and it portrays the story of Saint Hubert, who converted to Catholicism during a hunt. The centrepiece is made of rock crystal and shows mythological figures such as Diana (goddess of the hunt) and Actaeon, who – according to Greek mythology – came across Diana while she was bathing and was turned into a deer as punishment, and then eaten by his own dogs.