Saddle and Stirrups with design of sacred animal Sai

According to the document of the Tachibana family, this set of saddle and stirrups was a gift from the Tokugawa shogun family. Each piece is made of wood, coated with gold nashiji (pear skin pattern) lacquer, and sumptuously embellished with design of the Tachibana family crest and Sai —a legendary animal with a single horn and carapace.
The saddle is an uminari-suikan type which is slimmer than the saddles for military use and has a raised surface on its front and rear panels. These front and rear panels are made of hard bur oak while the seat is made of a soft silk tree.