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PRIMITIVE PACK
SADDLES RECENTLY FOUND IN MEXICO GREAT DISPLAY
PIECES:
Years ago great finds like these pack saddles used to be
regularly brought up from the small towns and villages
down in Old Mexico and the collector shows in South
Texas were always a good place to find them offered for
sale. Those halcyon days have long passed, but on
occasion some of these treasures find their way north.
Once common across South
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, these saddles were made
for use on the diminutive burros that have borne the
weight of travelers, trade and agriculture for
centuries, and they are remarkably smaller than those
fashioned for mules and horses. While following a basic
pattern, each saddle is a unique product of the skill
and imagination of the man who built it.
Pieces of primitive art
in their own right, these saddles display very well as
is, however I find that they really stand out when
repurposed as stands to display a frontier rifle as
shown in the photographs below.
Each of the saddles is
described below with accompanying photographs.
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PACK SADDLE #1:
Measuring 12 long, 15 wide and 9 ½ high, this saddle
is an unusual pattern, intended to concentrate the load
across the burros shoulders rather than balanced along
the spine as on the more common saddles. The wear to
the upper cross pieces show where the loads were
attached or hung (see photo below with blue arrow).
Assembled entirely without any metal fittings, each
piece is joined to the others with hand cut tenons and
mortises. The joints have shrunk with the passage of
time and there is some looseness, but the joints are not
separating nor will they come apart. If you wish, you
can tighten the joints by soaking the wood in water.
Even as it is with a minimal play in the joints, the
saddle is very stable and it displays quite nicely. The
wood is heavily weathered, but solid through out with no
rot or weak points. (0316) $175
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PACK SADDLE #2:
Measuring 16 long, 12 wide and 9 ½ high, this saddle
shows use and wear, but is solid. The dark wood,
perhaps ebony which is native to the border region and
down into northern Mexico, is hand shaped and is
assembled with a variety of iron fittings. The saddle
has an old coat of varnish, probably to protect it from
the elements.
SOLD
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