Tibetan Pile Rug for Saddle: Ladies; Double Snow Lion Motif

Two snow lions face each other across a lady's saddle.

This wool pile rug for a lady's saddle comes from Tibet and dates to the early 20th century. Horses carried people across much of the Tibetan plateau, and a pile rug padded the saddle while showing off its owner's taste. The snow lion is a familiar Tibetan emblem, linked to strength and fearlessness. Here a pair in white and tan crouch on a black ground, above bold orange blossoms, on either side of a pale central column. Stepped color bands fill the corners within an orange zigzag border, and the sides curve inward. Under four feet long and under three wide.

Comfort, in this case, rode with an escort.