A luxury commodity, this distinctive cup is carved from the long twisted “horn”—actually a tooth—of the narwhal, a sea mammal believed to be the marine counterpart to the unicorn. Narwhals were hunted in the Arctic Circle for their horns, purported to possess purifying qualities. This vessel was likely intended to protect the drinker from poison. Its relief carvings show fish and other sea creatures, harmonizing its imagery with its material.