Solitary stirrup of carved wood.

XIX century. Bolivia or Peru?

Carved in a single piece, with small remains of the iron band, and with part of the footprint missing. Its design, in the shape of a ship's prow, makes the eye longitudinal, and that both sides of the stirrup bear a central drawing with the carving of a branch with its leaves presented in a harmonious way, contained within decorative guards. Measurements. Height: 20 cm / 7.87 in. Opening: 11.3 cm / 4.44 in.

Heirs of the Spanish iron stirrups, type “half bushel” -used in the Basque Country, among other regions of Spain, and also in Portugal-, which arrived in America in the tools of the conquerors, and in our continent they derived in pieces carved on wood. The scarcity of iron led to the search for alternative materials, turning to wood, bronze and silver, with different designs.

Very useful in the transit through the hills and in the Andes mountain range, the "trunk" stirrup, carved in one piece, acquired different typical forms in each region. Its design allows it to be classified among the versions used in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, although the variant that we present here was used in these last two republics.

S.O.VIII-GSM