It was crafted to resemble a wild boar with its upturned snout, but it is the head of an Iron Age trumpet which would have been played during war and ceremonies to inspire or terrify listeners.
It was made of recycled Roman metal and carried by bands of Celtic mercenaries across Europe.
The Deskford Carnyx was found in the north-east of Scotland around 1816, but it is one of the treasures of 'Historic Banffshire' which are returning home to feature in an exhibition which opens in Duff House in Banff on Saturday.
Today only the head of the instrument survives, although it would once have featured a crest, ears, enamelled eyes and a wooden tongue.
Careful examination of what remained of the carnyx allowed experts to make a reconstruction of it which can be played.
Normally on display in Edinburgh, it dates to between between 80-200AD, and was discovered in the parish of Deskford in the former county of Banffshire.
According to the National Museums of Scotland (NMS), the minister of the parish at the time recorded it was found at the bottom of a peat moss. Excavations in the 1990s examined the spot. These showed that the carnyx ended its life as a sacrifice to some unknown god.
The carnyx was once widespread throughout much of Europe, although only a dozen or so fragments are known today. It flourished between 300 BC and AD 200 in western and central Europe and beyond.
"Carnyces were present at the attack on the Greek sanctuary at Delphi in 279 BC; carnyces defied Julius Caesar in Gaul; carnyces faced Claudius when he invaded Britain. They are even shown on a Buddhist sculpture in India, proof of the far-flung connections of the Iron Age world,"according to NMS.
Also featuring in the exhibition is a replica of the the Gundestrup Cauldron, a religious vessel found in the dry part of a pat bog in Himmerland, Denmark in 1891. It dates to the 2nd or 1st century BC.
In addition there is the Gaulcross Hoard Hoard of 100 silver items, including coins and jewellery, which come from the 4th and 5th centuries AD. Belonging to the Picts and was also first discovered in the north east 200 years ago.
Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education, Learning & Leisure Committee, Alison Evison, said:
“It is wonderful to welcome back the Deskford Carnyx and Gaulcross Hoard to the North East and highlight examples of Banff silver, both new and old."
Dr Fraser Hunter, NMS's Principal Curator, Iron Age, Roman and Early History said: “The Deskford carnyx is a wonderful object, both highly significant and hugely evocative. It will be a particular treat for people to be able to view it alongside the magnificent replica of the Gundestrup Cauldron.
“Among the many significant details of the Cauldron is the fact that it actually depicts Iron Age people playing the carnyx. Given that the object was probably made in south-eastern Europe, it shows how widely connections ran between the peoples of Iron Age Europe.”
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