Horse Brasses
Hull Museums has a collection of horse brasses which are believed to have been donated by H. Robinson Carter. The flat decorative brass objects we know today as horse brasses have a long history that can be traced back in essence to the pre-historic era. It is believed they were originally created as a talisman against evil spirits, over time they became more decorative in nature. Today they are seen as an excellent form of folk art usually associated with the working horse. #SUBHEADING# Early History#SUBHEADINGEND# It is widely accepted that the early horse brasses were used as a talisman to protect the working horse and oxen from evil spirits. A working horse was a very valuable commodity not only to pull the plough but also transporting people and goods. It is thought that the early talisman would have been amulets made from polished stone and would have carried depictions of the suns rays. The sun and the day were frequently used to represent the power of good whilst night and darkness were associated with evil. The grave of a Siberian chieftain thought to be over 2000 years old included seven mummified horses complete with bronze decorations that would be recognised today. It is unclear whether the tradition was introduced to Britain by Gypsy communities or by knights returning from the Crusades. Brasses from the medieval period have been found created from thin sheets of hammered brass called latten, with its warm yellow colour closely resembling that of gold and would bear a simple design. #SUBHEADING#As Decoration#SUBHEADINGEND# The use of horse brasses simply as decoration is believed to date from the early nineteenth century. From about 1825 casts were use to create the brasses enabling them to adopt more and more complex patterns. These patterns would be created by carving the original in close-grained pearwood and then making an imprint of the pattern using wet sand, a small channel would be dug into the sand between the different patterns to allow the brass to run from one mould to the other. The cast brasses were coloured in one of two ways - through immersing it in an acid or by applying a lacquered coating. Adding a silver finish to the metal helped to protect it in coastal areas with briny seas. Each brass would then be finished by hand including the filing down of the rough edges from the casting process and finally given a vigorous polish.
