Courtesy Photo | A horse bridle rosette recovered in 2015 by archaeologists with Colorado State...... read more read more
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Horse bridle rosettes are not just an ornament, but an important part of a driving or riding bridle. One was found in an archaeological dig at Fort McCoy in 2015.
A bridle, or headgear, consists of a bit, headstall (part of the bridle that encircles the head of the horse), and reins.
The primary function of horse bridle rosettes is to secure the bridle headstall which holds the crown piece and brow band together on a riding or driving bridle and allows the rider to control the horse’s head, speed, and direction.
Rosettes are held in place on the headstall by a large rectangular shank on the back of the rosette through which the bridle strap passes.
They were used to identify military war horses, as an adornment for a funeral or wedding, a means of advertisement for businesses and fraternal organizations (think of today’s car bumper stickers), and also served as ornaments depicting favorite activities of the time.
Horse bridle adornment has been around for a very long time, including depictions of elaborately decorated horse bridles in Ancient Egyptian art.
They became extremely widespread from the 1800s to about the 1950s, primarily during a time known as the “Gilded Age” in the United States, with the riding and driving public.
The Gilded Age was coined by Mark Twain to describe the period from approximately 1870 to 1920 marked by rapid economic growth and witnessed by greed, materialism, inequality, and political corruption. As the primary mode of transportation changed from horse-drawn carriage to automobile in the mid-1900s, production of rosettes decreased.
In ancient and medieval times, horse bridle rosettes were made of metals such as iron, bronze, and copper.
In the 1800s, materials used for the rosettes shifted to that of glass domes enclosing hand-painted artwork, dye cuts, pictures, and photographs set in a metal frame.
The designs of the rosettes ranged from plain to elaborate. Horse bridle rosettes were first used in the United States by the U.S. Cavalry.
The U.S. Cavalry used a plain design, less elaborate as the horse bridle rosette pictured here. More ornate rosettes included colorful dye cuts and transfers. The most popular designs were of flowers and animals.
A horse bridle rosette recovered in 2015 by archaeologists with Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands has a faded star heirloom design beneath a domed glass cover.
Unfortunately, the design is too faded to be able to describe completely. Other horse tack or accessories recovered from this site include a portion of a leather harness with a brass rivet, a metal harness piece for a bridle, and one metal ring for a horse bit.
Today, many people consider horse bridle rosettes to be collectibles. Oftentimes, they are used in jewelry such as brooches and necklaces.
Horse bridle rosettes are still manufactured today and used for their original purpose of holding the bridle together.
All archaeological work conducted at Fort McCoy was sponsored by the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch.
Visitors and employees are reminded they should not collect artifacts on Fort McCoy or other government lands and leave the digging to the professionals.
Any individual who excavates, removes, damages, or otherwise alters or defaces any historic or prehistoric site, artifact, or object of antiquity on Fort McCoy is in violation of federal law.
The discovery of any archaeological artifact should be reported to the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch at 608-388-8214.
(Article prepared by the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch and the Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands.)
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2022 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 427176 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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