Featured Seeking any info on this Victorian Claw? Stickpin or Hatpin?

Found this awesome piece today. The gold parts are gold 9k or 10k. I believe it to be Victorian but am not sure as I haven't seen anything like it but I know things like this were popular back then. Is it to be worn on a hat or a lapel? Hatpin or stickpin? Finally I am not sure what the claw? fang? even is.... It isn't very heavy either. Any input is greatly appreciated as always thanks!

 

Looks like a tiger's tooth.

 

Scottish Kilt pin!...perhaps!

 

Hello spartcom5. I have a similar piece, however not gold. It's a modern piece. The inscription on it says 1973. It was really popular at that time. Mine is pretty large, about 30 cm, so it's like wall decoration. However, it can be used as goblet for wine. It is known as CORNUCOPIA (word from the dictionary) or HORN OF PLENTY. The most popular is the horn made of bull horn. Horns like this are made in Caucasus. By the way, it is for sale. If you are interested, send me a private message.

 

It looks like a Victorian hunting trophy.

On a scarf or Victorian necktie, more likely.

 

Scottish Sporran dirk and powder horn http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/silver-n08478/lot.150.html

 

Could possibly be a sporran decoration.

 

Only if it is a miniature powder horn, which this isn't. It isn't hollow, so no horn.
It isn't a kilt pin either, not practical when wearing a kilt.

 

Hummm...Spartcom5 could we get the size of this horn please? In the picture it looks about the size of your finger, and you said it was not heavy.

 

Late 19th century scarf pin, this form intended to look like a miniature powder horn - they were made from tiger and lion fangs, but were also made with alligator and crocodile teeth...

~Cheryl

 

1891:





1886:





~Cheryl

 

PERFECT!

 

Thanks so much for those articles!! Whered you find them? Such a neat piece. How can I tell if it is alligator vs tiger?

 

Taste it!

 

I'd say yours is crocodile / alligator ..............the above is tiger....which has a defined mark where the tooth protrudes from the gums..

 

Heh, have quite a few alligator product ads somewhere in my files, alligators were used for all sorts of stuff, the reason they became endangered (plenty of them now). Can't really tell you the source of your tooth, but suspect yours is probably alligator, they're more common because as opposed the four fangs that a big cat has, gators and crocs have mouths full of fang-like teeth, they're also hollow (sometimes smaller teeth are already growing inside larger ones), so that also might explain why it feels light to you.

These are tiger fangs:



These are alligator teeth, note the wide variety of shapes and sizes (they can be much large than these), should be kept in mind that they can be polished and their shape can be modified a bit since though hollow they're still fairly thick, especially closer to the tips (they can take a limb, so they're sturdy)...






This one is 4.5" long:




~Cheryl