Tibetan-Chinese, 1402-1424. The pommel and cantle plates are crafted in openwork of chiseled and gilt iron damascened with silver, depicting sinuously coiled dragons within a reticulated scroll ground. The dragon on the large frontal pommel plate is made from two interlocked and therefore movable main sections. The various sections of the hardwood saddle are tied together with metal wire. Together with two pierced iron stirrups. (3)

Provenance: From the important private collection of Jochen and Herbert Kienzle, thence by descent in the same family. A private collector, acquired from the above. Jochen (1925-2002) and Herbert (1931-1997) Kienzle were sons of Herbert Otto Kienzle (1887-1954), whose father Jakob (1859-1935) was a German watchmaker, who founded Kienzle Apparate, a German manufacturer of data processing equipment. Jochen and Herbert took over management of the company after their father’s death in 1954 and pioneered the use of computer systems for commercial office-based applications in Germany. From 1965 until 1986, the brothers assembled a well-known and highly regarded collection of East Asian and Tibetan art.
Condition: Good condition with extensive wear, fully commensurate with age. The wood with old natural cracks and some small chips as well as a fine dark patina. The metal with small dents, dings, and minor losses overall, some fittings with signs of corrosion. The saddlecloth lost.

Weight: 4,035 g (the saddle) and 775.7 g (the stirrups)
Dimensions: Length 57 cm

Expert’s note: This saddle represents a particular form found in Tibet, one that is Chinese or strongly influenced by Chinese types. It belongs to a small group of closely related saddles that may stem from a single workshop or reflect a specific type developed in one region. Notable features are the lively dragons, chiseled free from the scrollwork ground, and the unusual decorative technique involving silver damascening of the entire surfaces of the saddle plates, with select design elements highlighted by mercury gilding above the silver. The Sino-Tibetan style of the saddle and high-quality craftsmanship indicate that it may have been gifted by the Yongle Emperor to a high Tibetan lama.

Literature comparison: The technique used to decorate the pommel and cantle plates on the present saddle are very similar to a saddle in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dated very conservatively to the 17th / 18th century, accession number 1997.214.1.

Auction result comparison: Compare with a closely related saddle at Sotheby’s New York in Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 19 March 2014, lot 81, sold for USD 106,250. Another closely related saddle was sold in these rooms in Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism on 25 April 2020, lot 88, sold for EUR 69,520.

永樂鐵鏨金鏤空龍紋馬鞍
漢藏，1402-1424年。馬鞍木胎用皮革線和帶子綁在一起，用鏨鐵鎏金鏤空製成鞍座和鞍板錯銀，鏤空龍紋、祥雲紋以及花卉紋。正面面板上的龍是由兩個互相盤繞並可移動的部分製成。硬木馬鞍的各個部分用金屬線綁在一起。 連同兩個穿孔的鐵箍。 (3)

來源：Jochen 與 Herbert Kienzle私人收藏，保存在同一家族至今。私人藏家，購於上述收藏。Jochen (1925-2002) 與 Herbert (1931-1997) Kienzle是Herbert Otto Kienzle (1887-1954) 的兒子, 其父親 Jakob (1859-1935) 曾是一位德國鐘錶製造商，他創立了德國資料處理設備 Kienzle Apparate。Jochen 和 Herbert 在他們父親1954 年去世後接管了公司，並率先在德國將電腦系統用於商業辦公。 從 1965 年到 1986 年，兄弟倆彙集了一批著名且備受稱讚的東亞和西藏藝術品收藏。
品相：狀況良好，磨損嚴重，與年齡相符。 木質部分帶有天然裂縫和一些小碎片以及深色包漿。金屬有小凹痕和整體輕微缺損，一些配件有腐蝕跡象。 馬鞍布已丟失。

重量：馬鞍4,035 克，馬鐙775.7 克
尺寸：長57 厘米

專家注釋：這個在西藏被發現的馬鞍展現了一種特殊形式，是中國的或是受中國影響的。 它屬於一組彼此相關的馬鞍，可能源自同一個作坊或反映了一個地區發展的特定類型。 其主要特點是鏤空龍紋以及不同尋常的裝飾技術，包括在馬鞍板的整個表面鎏銀的技術，尤其突出了精心設計的紋飾。馬鞍的漢藏風格和高品質的工藝表明它可能是永樂皇帝贈予一位西藏喇嘛大師的。

文獻比較：馬鞍上所使用的裝飾技術與一件紐約大都會博物館的藏品十分相似，日期保守判斷為十七至十八世紀，編號1997.214.1。

拍賣結果比較：比較一件相似的馬鞍，見紐約蘇富比 Indian & Southeast Asian Works of Art 2014年3月19日 lot 81, 售價USD 106,250；另一件馬鞍在本藝廊 Fine Chinese Art, Buddhism and Hinduism 2020年4月25日 lot 88, 售價EUR 69,520。