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Saddle
Chinese for the Tibetan market, 17th–18th century
Iron, gold, silver, wood, coral, ivory, silk, hair, leather
H. including textile 13¾ in. (34.9 cm), L. 27 in. (68.6 cm),
W. 14½ (36.8 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan,
Bequest of Stephen V. Grancsay, Giovanni P. Morosini Collection, presented
by
his daughter Giulia, and Gift of Prince Albrecht Radizwill, by exchange,
Gift of Nicholas L. Zabriskie, and Gift of William H. Riggs, 1998 (1998.316)
cat. no. 122
In terms of quality and workmanship
this saddle is similar to some of the best imperial Chinese
saddles, such as one owned by Emperor Qianlong (r. 1736–96)
and preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing. This saddle
is also exceptional for having all its original parts, including
the elaborate seat cover of embroidered silk and the fittings
of the saddletree. Although this type of saddle is often
identified as Tibetan, the saddle plates, the style of workmanship,
and the saddletree are similar to imperial Chinese examples
and indicate a likely Chinese provenance, perhaps from an
imperial workshop. The saddle was, however, used in Tibet,
as demonstrated by the Tibetan letter ka, branded on the
underside of the saddletree as an inventory number. It must
have belonged to a Tibetan nobleman of the highest rank,
possibly received as a gift directly from the imperial court.
The saddle plates are made from relatively
thick iron, deeply chiseled and pierced; the motifs are
densely arranged so that the gaps in the scrollwork are
narrow in comparison to those on other examples displayed
here. The plates are finely crosshatched and damascened
overall with a thick layer of gold foil. The coral and ivory
beads in the center of the pommel and cantle represent the
Three Jewels: the Buddha, the dharma (Buddhist teachings),
and the sangha (community of believers). |
all text & images © Metropolitan Museum
of Art |
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