Three Ornaments from a Bridle

Unknown

mid-17th century · Silver; stamped, punched, gilded · Islamic Art

In paintings of Mughal courtly life, horses and elephants appear as richly adorned as their royal riders. These silver pairs of fish were fabricated from stamped and punched silver and arranged in rows on horses’ bridles in seventeenth century India. The motif of the fish appeared on Mughal decorative objects as part of their royal insignia.

Artist

Unknown

Date

mid-17th century

Medium

Silver; stamped, punched, gilded

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Stuart Cary Welch, 1987