Mongolian Maju Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The craft of horse gear finds its origin in the nomadic life itself: horses are both a productive tool and a means of transport, and whether a saddle fits well is directly tied to the safety and endurance of riding; therefore every pad and every stitch must be repeatedly tested and adjusted to the horse's physique. People on the steppe cannot do without horses, and saddlery thus gradually changed from a practical item into a marker of status and taste; the quality of a set of saddle gear at one's waist became proof to outsiders of a herder family's discernment. When herding households exchange horses, arrange marriages or move their camps, they all need to acquire new horse gear, and if something is made wrongly it is redone—so this craft has always had work.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Mongolian people are known as "the nation on horseback"; in their long production and daily life they have accumulated rich experience in making horse gear, and many master artisans of horse-gear making have emerged. The exquisite and practical craft of horse-gear making has become an important component of grassland culture. Horse-gear making integrates carpentry, embroidery, fur and leather, and metalwork, and occupies an important place among the traditional Mongolian handicrafts. Saddles are made of willow wood, elm wood and the like; the manufacture of halters, saddles, whips and ropes uses leatherwork; and stirrups, rings, nails and hoops are made by metalworking. Some horse gear is also inlaid with jade, stone, bone and shell, and the saddlebag (a pocket placed on the saddle) is embroidered with auspicious patterns. Horqin Left Rear Banner is located in the southeast of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; the horse gear here—saddles, stirrups, reins, saddlebags, halters and the like—is valued worldwide for its unique making craft and style. Horse gear is a symbol of grassland nomadic culture, embodying the wisdom and talent of the artisans; its emergence is of great significance in the development of northern grassland civilization. Horse-gear making synthesizes multiple crafts and centrally reflects the Mongolian aesthetic consciousness and their ethnic cultural characteristics, possessing important cultural research value. The processing and making methods of horse gear contain certain scientific and technological factors and cultural information that are difficult to replace with modern technology, giving it a special craft value. For a long time, horse-gear making has been one of the important industries of Horqin Left Rear Banner.
Carving the saddle tree
Willow and elm are hollowed to the curve of a horse's back, width matched to the animal.
Preparing leather and bridles
Tanned and dressed hide is mounted over the tree; bridles and reins come from the same craft.
Felt and padding
Wool felt between tree and horse, its thickness adjusted to season and distance.
Forging stirrups and fittings
Stirrups, rings, nails and bands are forged and filed; a ring that does not fit will shake in the saddle.
Embroidering the saddlebag
Saddlebags are embroidered with auspicious motifs, the fine stitching itself establishing a maker's standing.
Assembling the complete saddle
Tree, skin, felt, stirrups, bridle and bags are brought together; a well-fitted saddle fits as though new.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Horqin Left Rear Banner is one of the most concentrated places for horse-gear making; artisans are scattered throughout the banner, each with their own division of labor: carpenters make the saddles, leatherworkers make the halters and ropes, metalworkers forge the stirrups, rings and nails, and embroiderers take over the auspicious motifs on the saddlebags, with the master finally unifying the style and finishing the piece. The saddle gear uses willow and elm wood as its frame, with leather parts paired with felt pads and embroidery; the fully assembled saddle set is heavy, sturdy and solid.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, the horse-gear-making artisans of Horqin Left Rear Banner have spread throughout the banner; the old artisans are advanced in age, and there are very few young inheritors, so the horse-gear-making technique is on the verge of being lost and urgently needs effective protection. Taoketu Baiyila (per the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Mongolian ethnicity, born in November 1947, from Horqin Left Rear Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Representative inheritor of the Mongolian horse-gear-making craft, a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in its third batch. A Mongolian horse-gear-making technician. Born into a family of Mongolian horse-gear makers, from childhood he was influenced and taught by his father Nima, his uncle Aolibu and others, and diligently studied the Mongolian horse-gear-making craft, especially the making of saddles. In the 1970s he was a backbone figure in horse-gear making at the local comprehensive factory; later he became an individual horse-gear maker, mainly processing and making saddle gear and leather goods and taking on apprentices to pass on the craft. He mainly makes horse-gear leather pieces, felt pads and embroidery and assembles saddles; the horse-gear leather pieces he makes are exquisite and durable, the felt pads and embroidery possess distinctive features of Mongolian folk art, and his fully assembled saddle sets are representative works of Horqin saddles. Some of the exquisite saddles he made have been collected by various equestrian clubs and saddle enthusiasts across the country.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Taoketubaiyila 03-1383
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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