Crane

This crane is made of dark-coloured buffalo horn inlaid with ivory for its eyes. The simple, elegant linear form of this object conveys the characteristic grace of the crane and shows a distinct effort to modernise the form. Horn was softened and heated before a fire to the consistency of wax and pressed into a form either with hands or wooden moulds. Small lathes and scraping tools were used to lend a finishing touch to the object. Trivandrum and Orissa, where much of the Museum's horn collection was made, were important centres for the production of horn objects.