Horn of Salt Diggers Brotherhood of Wieliczka

3D Model

The horn of Salt Diggers Brotherhood of Wieliczka is a unique Renaissance work of art commemorating the past wealth of Kraków salt mines. It is the only historical object of its kind preserved in Poland – a genuine horn of the aurochs, an ancestor of present-day cattle (the species became extinct in Poland in the 17th century). Framed in silver, it features a number of precisely executed metalwork techniques. Weighing almost 3 kilos, it was created in Kraków in 1534. The figure shown in the horn’s base is a salt miner, depicted as Hercules wearing antique armour. This representation symbolically emphasises the hard work of the Wieliczka salt diggers, excavating the precious mineral for hundreds of years.

For more images and further information, visit: https://muzea.malopolska.pl/en/objects-list/273

Inventory number: ID no. MŻKW IV/ 150

Location of the physical object:

Digitalisation: Regional Digitalisation Lab, Małopolski Institute of Culture in Kraków, Poland