Stag's horn sofa with serpentine front; back and sides of interlaced antler branches, buttoned seat and low bolster back with projecting upholstered corners in green wool; feet and base with horn veneer, oak leaf and acorn motif; on six stag hoof feet.

During her first visit to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (19 August - 3 September 1845), Queen Victoria would have encountered many examples of furniture constructed from stag horn - a long established and widespread taste in the royal and aristocratic houses of Central Europe. Prince Albert's brother, Duke Ernst, had such furniture in his summer residence, Schloss Callenberg. Writing to his brother from Windsor after the visit to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince Albert mentioned 'the antler furniture you wanted to give us' and concluded 'I bought such in Frankfurt and the only things we still need are one or two easy chairs. These we shall accepts with special thanks, any time' (letter of 11 November 1845, Bolitho 1933, p.82). The Prince's purchase probably included a set of six chairs (RCIN 41243), a table (RCIN 41242), chandelier, stool, pair of wall-lights (RCIN 41689), pair of candlesticks (RCIN 41687), and a clock signed by F. Böhler of Frankfurt (RCIN 41688). This sofa, made by W. Ranff of Gotha, may have been given to the royal couple by Duke Ernst, who owned a set of chairs by the same maker.

The furniture arrived at Osborne House and was placed in a small sitting room which came to be known as the Horn Room, at the South-West corner of the family Pavilion. The Queen, who noted with approval of the Prince's purchase during their overnight stay in Frankfurt of 'some beautiful things made of Stag's horns' (Journal, 4 September 1845), no doubt recognised that this acquisition would provide the Prince with a pleasing reminder of his lifelong passion for deer stalking, as experienced in the forests of Thuringia, and subsequently in the Highlands of Scotland. All of the furniture has remained at Osborne House.

Inscribed twice in pen on inner face of seat rail: W Ranff aus Gotha. 1845

Text adapted from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010