How Horns can be Shaped into a Unique Design
Once the inner muscle is separated from the shell and we are left with the hollow horn, these are then selected and cut to size according to the product to be made out of them. Looking at the Round bowl, once the pieces are cut, they are taken for boiling to be able to acquire the unique beautiful shapes. Horn primarily consists of keratin, when you heat the horn it becomes malleable since it takes on a plasticity that allows it to be flattened, molded or bent, which then hardens once it has cooled. In this case, the heated horn piece is placed into a round mold under a pressing machine for around 5 minutes. It’s then removed after five minutes and placed in water to cool down and maintain the new acquired round shape
Having cooled down , the bowl is now ready to go through the process of cleaning, bleaching and 5 layers of sanding to attain a smooth and clean finished product ready to be polished with a polishing cloth and wax.
In addition to its ductility, this material was, and still is, appreciated for its natural colouring, which becomes highly refined once it has been polished. Must appreciate the fact that each piece is made one by one and has to go through that same process.