Saddle Id - Real Antique Or Tourist Item?

[Mike Craw]

A lady came into the shop this afternoon with this saddle for Carlos to look at. She wanted some information about its origins and possible value. The stirrups, apparently iron, looked Persian to me and the general style looks similar to the basic tree arrangement on the Circassian Saddle that Dick Sherer wrote about in the Sept/Oct issue of LC&SJ.

Any input would be appreciated.

Mike

[Mike Craw]

45 of you looked at it, and you don't know either? How about it saddle historians?

Mike

[oldtimer]

A lady came into the shop this afternoon with this saddle for Carlos to look at. She wanted some information about its origins and possible value. The stirrups, apparently iron, looked Persian to me and the general style looks similar to the basic tree arrangement on the Circassian Saddle that Dick Sherer wrote about in the Sept/Oct issue of LC&SJ.

Any input would be appreciated.

Mike

The general style looks Mongolian to me

http://www.travelblo...g/Photos/477212

/ Knut

Edited March 6, 2011 by oldtimer

[Denise]

Neat site, Oldtimer. But I don't think it is Mongolian - at least not the same style. I am attaching a picture of a tree that some people who travelled to the far east brought back with them. They said it was a Mongolian saddle tree. And this picture further down the list on the site you link to shows the front of the tree looking more like the picture I posted rather than the one Mike Craw posted. http://www.travelblo...g/Photos/477317

It looks somewhat like a picture I have of a Native American saddle tree. I'm sorry, but I don't know where I found those pictures on the net anymore, and I don't think they did leatherwork like this. So I sure can't help in figuring out where it came from either.

[Mike Craw]

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to look and give me some feedback. I have no clue...

Mike

[oldtimer]

I´ll make a second attempt : The general shape of the saddle looks very similar to this Hungarian saddle. http://www.folkline.hu/kiadvanyok/hh_03/hungarian_saddle.html

/ Knut

[mendedbowl]

Hi Mike,

I've found a few sites with saddle pics that you may wish to compare to your saddle. (I think your guess was correct)

on the first site, scroll down a little and compare saddle type 3. from Caucasus and Kazakhstan. 1st site here

on the second site is a Circassian saddle. 2nd site here

the third site is an eBay auction. check the pics without the thick seat pad. notice the underside of the bars is almost identical to your saddle. 3rd site

the last is a 19th century Cossack saddle. enlarge the pic, and you call see how the overall shape is similar. last site

ken

[Mike Craw]

Hey Oldtimer and Mendedbowl!

I really appreciate your efforts, and I think that you have zeroed in on the area of the world where this thing originated. I have some more sites to look at, but the saddle itself looks Russian and the stirrups look Moroccan. This is fun!

Thanks again for the help!!

Mike

[The Farmers Daughter]

I believe that saddle has Chinese origins.

Here is a link you may find useful

http://www.chinesedi...america-saddle/

Edited March 10, 2011 by The Farmers Daughter

[Denise]

Interesting site, Farmer's Daughter. Their first "Ancient Asian saddle" picture here: http://www.antiques-arms.com/catalog/images/suc175c.jpg is almost identical to the one I posted above. Both the "fork" and the cantle are much wider than the one Mike posted, but it is interesting the similarities between the North American one I posted and the one Mike posted that looks like the Circassian one. Saddle history is interesting!!

[oldtimer]

Interesting site, Farmer's Daughter. Their first "Ancient Asian saddle" picture here: http://www.antiques-...ges/suc175c.jpg is almost identical to the one I posted above. Both the "fork" and the cantle are much wider than the one Mike posted, but it is interesting the similarities between the North American one I posted and the one Mike posted that looks like the Circassian one. Saddle history is interesting!!

The American "cousins" of those Circassian and Mongolian and Chinese saddles are the Ringgold Dragoon saddles ( 1844) and the Grimsley Dragoon saddles ( 1847), very similar in shape.

/ Knut

[abaze]

Circassian saddle

stirrup and not buckle

Edited November 11, 2011 by abaze

[Cat Balou]

Late to the party, but I just joined last week so nothing to be done. Mike, that's a Polish saddle. Don't have a date for it 'tho.