A set of rare and magnificent Ilkhanid silver-gilt horse fittings, PERSIA, 13TH OR 14TH CENTURY A.D

fifty four pieces, cast, worked in repoussé and chasing, all gilded, consists of thirty three rectangular fittings, six large hammer head fittings, six rings, six clasps, two strap holders and a single domed fitting, all decorated with winged bird motifs

formerly in a Japanese private collection

This rare and exquisite set of silver-gilt horse fittings is a striking testament to the status and significance of horses throughout Ilkhanid and Mongol history. As a nomadic dynasty whose roots can be traced to the wandering hordes of Genghis Khan, the Ilkhanids, like their predecessors, sustained an empire conquered, administered and protected on horseback.

A deep-found appreciation of their nomadic ancestral adornment of horses, together with the crucial role they played in their dynastic history led the Ilkhans to continue the profuse decoration of their cavalry even after the post-nomadic urban format of the "court" had been adopted (examples of Ilkhanid style horse adornments can be seen in early Persian manuscripts, see Timur and the Princely Vision, Los Angeles, 1989, p.54).

From the quality and material of the present fittings, it is clear that they were used by an individual of rank and possibly of royal status. This set would have been used specifically to embellish the bridle and the various straps which ran along the sides of the horse. It is generally thought that trappings of this kind were reserved as court decoration or used for parading purposes and it is entirely likely that they belonged to the itinerary of an Ilkhanid royal tent. The tent was a profusely luxurious structure which allowed the ruler to reconcile semi-nomadic and urban lifestyles, and served as the most opulent mode of transport between the empire's two capitals of Tabriz and Baghdad.

Several similar examples exist in the Khalili collection (see The Arts of War, London, 1992, p48-57), and it has been noted that the decorative elements of fittings of this kind are derived from late Sassanid metalwork. The bird with spread wings is a distinct pre-Islamic Persian motif similar to the farohar or winged disc, a prominent symbol of royal authority in Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian and Persian cultures. (Examples of late Sassanid belt fittings can be found in Splendeur des Sassanides, Bruxelles, 1993, p.18).