Brass Relic Mystery

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I found this at a farm site (now a residential park setting) yesterday morning and have no idea what it might be. Under close inspection with a jewelers loop I think I can see the remnants of leather under one of the bent steel rivets on the end. Therefore, my feeling is this might have come off the back seat of a saddle.

I'd be interested in hearing any theories about it's age and purpose as well.

Thanks very much,
Dave


UPDATE

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input with regard to what this relic might be.

I like the suggestion made by 'releventchair' ... "On a western style saddle below the horn are called the pommel or swells. Their shape would maybe match your piece .
The only ones I have seen are on show saddles and no finding of if they had a function at one time like keeping rope off leather."

Thanks again, you're all what makes this site such a great resource for information!
Dave

UPDATED PICS - See Bottom

Here are a couple of Before & After pics of finds from this site after tumbling for 36 hours.
Dave

 

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[duggap]

My guess would be a drawer pull.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

My guess would be a drawer pull.

Thanks for your post and for your suggestion dug!
Unfortunately, the brass is much to soft and easily to bent to be a drawer-pull.
It also has very crude metal rivets that have been pushed through the ends, these were then 'split' and bent over similar to what you'd see in a cotter pin.
Dave

 

[462]

Maybe a decorative piece off a saddle or other horse tack.

 

[coachbedford]

Looks just like a piece I have that was dug in England-- except my piece has "C.B. Bean Saddler" on the face of it in lettering that appears to be late 1800s to early 1900s

 

[releventchair]

On a western style saddle below the horn are called the pommel or swells. Their shape would maybe match your piece . The only ones I have seen are on show saddles and no finding of if they had a function at one time like keeping rope off leather. Just guessing.

 

[GatorBoy]

Seems odd how the leather is on the outside of the radius I'm thinking maybe this came off of a piece of furniture

 

[cowboy7450]

diffently looks like a drawer pull, but way to go cool find

 

[releventchair]

Seems odd how the leather is on the outside of the radius I'm thinking maybe this came off of a piece of furniture

Still guessing, perhaps leather conchos used under rivet heads.

 

[GatorBoy]

Gotcha

 

[JOHUNT]

My guess is that it's a boot heel guard

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[ANTIQUARIAN]

My guess is that it's a boot heel guard

Thanks for your post Jo, although it seems a bit too large for that.
Dave

 

[docholliday59]

Might also be used to hold a woman's ponytail or hair back ...my wife has a few things that look similar ...maybe not but just sayin...

 

[JOHUNT]

That is a good guess Doc. I'm still sticking with my guess as a boot heel guard. To me it looks no bigger than google images of heel guards

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[GpSnoopy]

Possibly a show halter or bridle plate?

Looking at a few show halters/bridles and many had curved plates attached to the leather.....

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Possibly a show halter or bridle plate?

Looking at a few show halters/bridles and many had curved plates attached to the leather.....

I'm leaning towards a bridle plate Gp, although it seems a bit wide for that type of halter decoration.
Thanks for the pic and for your insight bud,
Dave

 

[GatorBoy]

.... Disregard

 

[johnnyi]

Hello Antiquarian. I think you were on the right track with harness/saddlery. Although I've dug a few saddle makers plates, they weren't shapped like your's, ....but, you will find one or two maker's plates on ebay that look very close to your's if you search under saddle plate. Your's is blank, but that's not a big deal I don't think, for as you know, often you'll find sadddle or harness brass which is freee of any markings...while an identical piece serving the same function may be marked. Good luck

 

[GatorBoy]

What's on the other side?
There's leather on this side of the rivet on our right.
Wouldn't that make this the back?

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Hello Antiquarian. I think you were on the right track with harness/saddlery. Although I've dug a few saddle makers plates, they weren't shapped like your's, ....but, you will find one or two maker's plates on ebay that look very close to your's if you search under saddle plate. Your's is blank, but that's not a big deal I don't think, for as you know, often you'll find sadddle or harness brass which is freee of any markings...while an identical piece serving the same function may be marked. Good luck

Hello Johnny, thank you for your post. I think if this was a "saddle makers plate" it would have the makers name or at least the saddle owners initials engraved on it. Wouldn't that have been sweet if either of those would have been engraved here, alas it's blank. I feel this piece has some age to it due to the style in which it is made, likely mid-19thc. It's crude looking, hand-made and had bent over iron loops pushed through the holes in the ends when I found it. As you know, there was a small piece of leather still in place on top of one of the plates iron rivets ... yet another mystery. Therefore, I feel this was a piece of decoration on either a halter or a saddle.

Here's an sample of a 'saddle name plate' I found on eBay (thanks for that).

Best of luck to you Johnny and thanks again for your help,
Dave

What's on the other side?
There's leather on this side of the rivet on our right.
Wouldn't that make this the back?

Hello GatorBoy, logic would certainly dictate this, but I don't feel this is the case.
I'll post a few more pictures here of the plate now that it's 'free of corrosion & dirt' and I can clearly see the 'front' definitely shows more signs of being worn smooth then the 'reverse side'.

Thanks very much for your interest and best of luck to you,
Dave
PS. Don't you just love these kinds of relic mysteries ... this is what makes metal detecting fun as far as I'm concerned!