Curb Bit

Unknown

first half 19th century · Iron alloy, copper, silver, stone · Arms and Armor

The shanks of this elegant bit are shaped as waving serpents, their bodies inlaid in silver and their eyes with red stone. More serpents adorn the slobber bar and the chains for attaching the reins. The purchases are each chiseled and decorated with a silver rose. This bit is a Mexican version of a spade bit (a type of mouthpiece from California), the spade being the flat extension at the top pressing against the horse’s palate when the reins are pulled. The small copper pendants had the purpose of "entertaining' the horse, who, by playing with it with its tongue, would salivate and relax its jaw. Moreover, copper, reacting by electrolysis with the warmth and moisture of the mouth, has a pleasant taste to horses and helps them accept the bit.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half 19th century

Medium

Iron alloy, copper, silver, stone

Culture

Mexican

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913