A WOOD SADDLE WITH GILT IRON FITTINGS AND SILK... Lot n° 876

Sino-Tibetan, late Ming to early Qing dynasty. Constructed from wood tied together with strips of leather, the pommel and cantle plates made of chiseled iron highlighted in gilt to form the design of dragons chasing the flaming pearl against a pierced scrolled ground on a layer of crimson red cloth. Published: Dr. Koos de Jong, Dragon & Horse. Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond, Amsterdam - Hong Kong 2013, illustrated on the back cover. Condition: Overall in good, original condition. The wood with age cracks and some small chips as well as a fine dark patina. Some loss to the gilt, the iron applications with small dents, dings and small areas of malachite green and copper red patina. The silk with faded colors, stains, small tears, and creases. Provenance: Theresa Coleman, Tibetan Gallery, Hong Kong. Collection of Dr. Koos de Jong, acquired from the above in 2013 (no invoice available). Dr. de Jong is a Dutch art historian and has been privately collecting Chinese art over decades. He has authored hundreds of articles and several books on Dutch fine and decorative arts spanning from the Middle Ages to the modern era. In 2013, he published an extensive study of Chinese riding gear in “Dragon & Horse, Saddle Rugs and Other Horse Tack from China and Beyond”. Between 1976 and 2009 he worked for numerous museums across the Netherlands and was the director of the European Ceramic Work Center in Den Bosch. Weight: 5.0 kg Dimensions: Length 60 cm The saddle cover, which like the saddle itself represents dragons chasing the flaming pearl, is made of brocaded silk fragments, the originally red (now faded into peach) silk dates to the Kangxi period (1661-1722) and is secured with pierced circular gilt-iron fittings in the form of flowers. With an associated metal stand. (2) Literature comparison: The technique used to decorat