Antique East Asian Saddle. Hand carved wood. Juvenile or for Mongolian horses. For Sale

Stunning showcase piece from the late 19th century East Asia. This piece is comprised of an intricately carved wood saddle from the Han Chinese or possibly Mongolia. The saddle is smaller and was used for either juvenile riders or on the smaller Mongolian horses. It is made of three pieces, the removable horse head pommel, the saddle body (seat) and the bottom gullet, all made of wood, most likely Boxwood. It is hand carved in beautiful vines, swirls, twisted edges and a lovely Lotus inspired center medallion on the seat. The wood has a beautiful aged burnishing and there is some wear evident on the seat, though is minimal. There has been 3 repairs to the front wing tips and there is a crack that runs just beneath the pommel on the front and about halfway on the side, but is quite stable. These flaws are not detractors but rather a statement to it's long life and only adds to it's patina, intrigue and charm. The dimensions on this saddle are (aproximate) 23" in length, 17" in height, 10.5" in depth/width and the seat (front edge of pommel to the first edge of the saddle back support cantle) is 11" and the weight is aprox. 19 pounds. Though possible to use in actual equestrian use, it is advised to be used only for display to preserve the beauty of this piece and for safety reasons, in addition there is no mounting tack or obvious place to attach any.
Shipping is Free USPS or FedEx ground to the U.S. only with insurance and signature confirmation required. California sales will have a 7.75% tax added and may automatically collect other state tax as may be required. thank you for your interest! 30161624