A pair of Mapuche (Chile) carved wood ceremonial stirrups, early 19th century, of navette form, 20cm high 21cm wide, 11cm deep Note: A comparable pair are to be found at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. These large, heavy and elaborated Mapuche stirrups may have been used for rituals and ceremonies in which horses were adorned with rich and elaborate tack. Their general shape is inspired from Argentinian campana stirrups. The carved geometric designs refer to Mapuche symbolism and cosmogony. The circle with the cross represents 'meli witran mapu' ( literally the land of the four places), the four parts of the world. The circles with a central dot, on the lower rim, may be representations of the sun or stars and the crown-shaped symbols may represent the head of Lukutuwe, or the First Man, as he appears on many Mapuche textiles. Hearts and leaf-shaped motifs are other traditional designs, while the four-pointed mounts at each corner of the stirrups represents sacred spaces and communication with the deities.