Japanese samuari saddle & its parts

 Salvete Omnes,

Japanese saddle or kura was divided into three types-  samurai saddle (Yamato gura) - gunjingura (war saddle), saikangura (riding saddle) and finally a  kura for packhorse- ni-gura or konida-gura.

First the kura (saddle ) has saddle tree or the kurabane- wooden tree made from red oak, made from pommel (maewa), cantle (shizuwa), two bars (igi) connecting maewa with shizuwa. 

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on top of the saddle tree went kura tsubo (a thin leather saddle seat or basen) with slots for the stirrup straps (Chikara-gawa/gekiso)

Saddle flaps  - Aori - went under the Kurebane saddle tree protecting the horse's sides 

Shita-kura or hadazuke - double leather pads under the saddle-tree 

a cinch went through this part 

Abumi - stirrups and stirrup straps/'fenders'

saddle tie-downs (4) or Shiode - 

Uma agemaki - tassels for decoration and utility

Kiritsuke - saddle blanket

Shirigai - crupper leathers/straps

Shirigai was covered with a padded cover or Bakin. 

Mungai - breast strap

Cinch strap or Harubi - 

                                                                                 ***

the bridle and its parts I will  do another time .

ps

a pack saddle

enjoy

valete

Nawroz - Nowruz e Shoma Pirooz - Spring has come

 Salvete Omnes,

Spring has some - the ancient Spring Equinox festival in the Northern Hemisphere when the actual year starts after the colds of winter. 

In the ancient tradition it was one of  the most important holidays - Nowruz in the Zoroastrian religious tradition and later cultures. 

Persepolis relieves to commemorate the festival and happy Spring and New Year (in old Slavic pagan tradition that was also the day of the new year).

And Buzkashu in Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan in 2011

. enjoy 

Valete 

Babenberger Stammbaum 1492AD - bridles

 Salvete Omnes,

a short but with plenty of imagery - the bridles from the late XV century Holy Roman Empire, more precisely from inside of the Roman Catholic  Klosterneuburg Abbey, where Hans Part and other painters painted a family tree triptych known as the  Babenberger Stammbaum (the Babenberg Family Tree) circa 1489-92.

The bridles - a whole array of curb-bits, double reins and headstalls:

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enjoy 

Valete