Women’s festive saddle, part of a riding horse harness.

Yakuts

Yakutskaya Oblast

кон. XIX в. – нач. XX в.

Wood; leather; metal; threads: animal: wool: hair

РЭМ 8620-1

The saddle bows are trapezoidal and covered with engraved metal plates. Nailed to the saddle horn is a hook for slinging the reins and for suspending a whip or a gnat repeller. The quality and decorative design of the saddle and harness were indicators of their owner’s wealth, and a source of his/her pride. Women’s festive saddles were given special decoration. A horse with a full set of decorative trappings was part of a bride’s dowry; she rode it to the wedding ceremony. Abstract by M.V. Fedorova