Lot 180 email save

Important Samuel Loomis, Santa Barbara Saddle

Slick fork, floral carved, loop seat saddle with partially quilted seat, 8 slotted coin silver conchas with latigo strings, intricately engraved silver gullet and cantle with name plate for C. K. G. Billings. All decorative silver work on this saddle was done by the father-son team of Edwin and John Field. The cantle and gullet binding were engraved by Tiffany-trained Edwin, while the smaller silver buttons decorating the skirt, jockey and fender edges as well as the stirrup caps were done using a stamping technique developed by his son John. Field first came to California in 1846 as a soldier during the Mexican war. He returned for the Gold Rush and moved to Santa Barbara permanently in 1870. PROVENANCE: Owned by legendary Santa Barbara industrialist, equestrian and philanthropist C K G Billings. SOLD: Cover Lot and top seller (at $19,800 ) in the history making, Butterfied & Butterfield H C Lewis Auction of Fine Saddles, Bits & Spurs, Nov 1989 (lot #8679). This sale marked the turning point, when cowboy collectibles transitioned from gear to art, taking them from the tack room to the living room.