Three Ornaments from a Bridle

mid-17th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 463

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.

Artwork Details

Title: Three Ornaments from a Bridle
Date: mid-17th century
Geography: Attributed to India
Medium: Silver; stamped, punched, gilded
Dimensions: Diam. 1 in. (2.5 cm)
Classification: Metal
Credit Line: Gift of Stuart Cary Welch, 1987
Object Number: 1987.254.1–.3
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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