Hundred Year Old Hoof

This hundred year old horse hoof poses a question: was Stella a steed, a nag or a rider? Decorated with a gold painted border and marked “Stella 1910” the hoof is part of Puke Ariki's Heritage Collection but frustratingly little is known about it. 

During the Victorian and Edwardian eras horse hooves were often elaborately mounted, sometimes fitted with silver or gold and plaques and used as inkwells, snuffboxes or keepsakes. This hoof appears to be an economical version of this trend but a lack of supporting information in museum records gives few other clues. With new information on the collection emerging daily from multiple sources the answer may well eventually surface.