Browse

Accession #	41.1275.219
Title	Lady's Stirrup
Date	late 18th-19th century
Medium	Silver
Dimensions	3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 7 11/16 in. (8.9 x 8.9 x 19.5 cm)
Credit Line	Museum Expedition 1941, Frank L. Babbott Fund
Location	American Identities: Inventing American Landscape
Description	Lady's silver stirrup of slipper type. Flat lower part is openwork in allover foliate motif. Upper part has allover relief design of twining flowers and foliage. Solid arching piece above for attachment to saddle.

Curatorial Remarks: When the Spanish came to the Western Hemisphere, they reintroduced the horse to regions where it had long been extinct. This animal had a far-reaching impact on life and culture in the Americas, including the production of equestrian adornments and images. This elaborately decorated, slipper-style stirrup is a luxury example of riding equipment for women. The ladies of Lima, Peru, were renowned for their grace on horseback, and since they rode side-saddle, their stirrups were made singly rather than as part of a pair.