Stirrup Irons

This pair of stirrup irons were made by the people of the Bamana tribe in Mali. They appear, by design, to have made for barefoot riding. The base of the stirrup is wide and long and curved and would sit comfortable in the instep of a shoeless foot. The are

These are a delightfully typical design decorated with peacocks butting up to the slot for the leather to be threaded through. They are ornate and the rings on the base may well have been for tassels or some sort of material decoration. Peacocks feature in so many Indian designs both

These irons from Mali are made by the Bamana tribe. They show a very economical working of the iron, simply taking a rod of iron and shaping it into a loop at the top and then flattening a piece for the foot support. They are quite crude but yet individual.

This stirrup iron is quite an unusual piece. It is over 200 years old. Only one was found. It was made by people from the Bamana tribe. Their work is very distinctive. The iron has been carefully worked with a detail on the side to show the level of workmanship.