Basset horn

"Stamped with a unicorn's head on every joint. Angular form. Boxwood, in four joints, ivory mounted. The joints comprise: a carved barrel, on which is inserted an ebony mouthpiece; the upper joint; a short obtuse-angled knee-joint, the lower part of which is of triangular section and contains three parallel bores connected in series to make a continuous air passage. A brass cover-plate is screwed to both the upper and lower faces of this triangular 'box', the lower plate being cut with a circular hole coinciding with the outlet of the air passage, into which is inserted a brass shell of a flattened oval section and with a chased rim-band. On the box, a swivel ring for supporting the instrument on a sling. Eight square brass keys are mounted on raised rings in the wood. They include in addition to the basic five [keys], a fish-tailed low F key with the key-plate mounted on a brass saddle; and thumb keyes for low D and C." - Anthony Baines,Catalogue of Musical Instruments in the Victoria and Albert Museum - Part II: Non-keyboard instruments (London, 1998), p. 101.