SOLD Irish Horn Rosary, Five Decade, 52 cm In Length, Bronze Chain, Excellent Condition

Irish Horn Rosary, Five Decade, 52 cm In Length, Bronze Chain, Excellent Condition

It is so rare to find an example of a beautiful Irish horn rosary in such beautiful condition and with a metal Corpus Christi.

This wonderful rosary has the traditional heart shaped link medal and each bead is perfectly carved. The whole rosary is hand made and the cross is stamped 'Made in Eire' on the reverse.

'Rosaries with beads made from horn were made in Ireland from the mid 1800s into the 1960s. They were an authentic traditional craft, and even in the 20th century they were mostly handcrafted. While horn is a resilient material in many ways, standing up well to daily use and nearly unbreakable, it can be destroyed by exposure to the elements. Mice love to eat these beads. As a result only a small fraction of the many horn rosaries that were produced still exist today, and they are highly sought after by collectors.

Earlier versions have celluloid crosses - these are often warped as celluloid isn't very stable. The oldest have flat centres made from horn, and horn crosses with a metal corpus.'

This rosary was almost certainly made in the Mitchell Rosary Factory in Dublin which began manufacturing these rosaries using local workers in 1927. While many celebrated the creation of new jobs, there was also a cost to the city. The horn was boiled in large vats to soften it for bead making. The smell of boiling horn was extremely strong and annoyed many residents. Young girls working in the factory covered their hair with nets in the hopes of keeping the smell from clinging. There were many objections to the smell and the Mitchell Rosary Factory stopped making horn rosaries circa 1960.

This beautiful rosary will ship with international tracking and courier service as standard.