Germany, Prussia. A Guards Regiment Horse Bridle, c.1870

This bridle in unmarked and is composed of three thick brown leather straps, each of the straps measuring 31 mm in width, the upper on each strap smooth, the undersides unfinished, emanating from a central point. The central point bears a 75 mm (w) x 77 mm (h) Prussian Guards insignia fabricated from white metal, with the eagle incorporating black and green paint, the insignia mounted to a 77 mm in diameter circular thick leather patch. All three straps emerge from the underside of the circular leather patch, two of the straps are designed to be placed on either side of the head of the horse, both of which are linked to a second strap via a large rectangular brass buckle and secured in place via a fixed leather slider, each of the second straps with two holes for length adjustment, the facing-up tips of the second straps with a pentagon-shaped metal tab affixed via three prongs. The opposite end of each of these second straps fold over to the reverse and house a 52 mm diameter brass circular snaffle bit. Both snaffle bits are linked by a very thick two-piece and well-stitched 250 mm long x 42 mm wide noseband, which is smooth-finished on both sides. The third thick brown leather strap that emerges from the underside of the circular leather patch below the insignia has a buckle placed three-quarters of the way down, with the end of the strap folded over and fed back through the awaiting buckle and two leather sliders, with ten holes for length adjustment. The leathers exhibit some crazing and wear but remain relatively supple, a minor dent at the upper left on the raised central portion of the insignia, the buckle on the third thick strap with rust present. As worn.