Saddle with Chinese character ‘妙’

This saddle is considered to have been owned by the first or second lord of the Yanagawa domain. It shows features of Uminashi Suikan type which is slimmer than saddles for military use and has front and back pommels with a flat surface. It is made of wood, using hard oak for both pommels and soft silk for the seat. The graceful designs are executed in gold maki-e (sprinkled metal decoration): a big Chinese character ‘妙’ on the outer surface of the pommels, and water plantains with streams on the inner surface and the seat.
There is kao (stylized signature) of Matsumura Sakunojo Tametsugu and inscription, ‘寛永拾二亥乙歳三月五日 (March 5th, 1635, kinoto year of the boar)’, on the seat. Tametsugu served the lord of the Iyouwajima domain and known as a master of horsemanship. After his lord was deprived of the domain in 1613, he became a saddle craftsman.