Link only available on sub pages

A golden horn, dating from about 500 A.D., was discovered in the Danish town of Tondern in 1639. It intrigued and mystified contemporary scholars. The king presented it to his son, Crown Prince Christian. The Danish Crown Prince had married the daughter of Elector Johann Georg the First of Saxony in 1634. It was the fourth marriage between the Danish royal family and the court of Saxony – a cementing of the long and excellent relations between the two ruling houses.

Sadly, Christian and his wife, Magdalena Sybilla, had no children. When Christian died suddenly in 1647, his widow inherited this rare object – on condition that she never remarried. Three years later, however, Magdalena Sybilla returned to her native Saxony, where she married the Duke of Saxony-Altenburg in 1652. So she had to leave the golden horn in Denmark. However, she received this approximate copy – like the original it’s made of pure gold – as a memento of her Danish connection.

If you look closely, you’ll see her initials – M. S. – and the date, 1650 stamped in dotted lines towards the top of the horn. Smooth bands with ruby-studded crowns decorate the surface.  Between the crowns, you see figures symbolising virtues...  and animals representing the seven planets. These may have come from a necklace that was part of Magdalena Sybilla’s bridal trousseau.  The reliefs at the tip of the horn, showing scenes from the Hebrew scriptures, were originally part of two bracelets.

This golden horn was passed on through the royal family, and finally ended up here in the Green Vault, where it is one of the most precious items on display. The original Tondern horn disppeared in 1802.