60/701/1-16

R. Ling & Son (Manufacturer)

This is ‘thill harness’, a harness for a draught horse. The set comprises a leather collar; brass hames, joined by a buckle at the top and chain at the bottom; a leather saddle, girth and breeching, joined by brass buckles; leather blinkers and straps; a martingale with four brasses, each showing a horse’s head; and two black leather runners or reins decorated with red leather and brass harness. The harness was made by R. Ling & Son of Poplar, London, circa 1945–6, and is part of a large collection of traditional craft products acquired from the British Council in 1960.

Harness of collar, hames, saddle, girth and breeching, blinkers and straps, a martingale and two runners or reins: leather, metal

MERL miscellaneous note, B. L. 22 March 1961 – ‘The British Council collection. // This collection of material which is covered by the accession numbers 60/430 to 60/791 contains examples of craft products made in the British Isles. The major part of the collection was prepared immediately after the Second World War for a travelling exhibition which was sent to Australia and New Zealand. // The collection was purchased for a nominal sum by the Museum in two portions, the one in the summer of 1960 and the other in February 1961. // For further details see the individual catalogue cards and the catalogue prepared for the temporary exhibition of the collection.’, MERL 'Catalogue index' card – ‘The British Council catalogue contains the following note: “Set of thill harness. This is a typical set of good draft horse harness as used in all districts of Southern and Eastern England. In some agricultural districts in Eastern England the saddle is made with the housen (normally used to denote the decoration on top of horse’s collar – see note at end) and the wooden tree is painted in red and often lined with yellow. The martingale, the broad strap which runs between the forelegs, was originally used to prevent rearing and to keep the saddle girth in position. Now its use is chiefly decorative and it carries the brasses. On show occasions a carter will often decorate his horse with straps (known as runners) mounted with brass hearts. (Note: the word “housen” is apparently used here to denote the leather casing on the saddle tree. See O.E.D. “house – a covering of textile material, usually one attached to a saddle.” See also 51/384, Housen, Livestock – Horses – Harness.) // 1. Collar and hames. The wale of the collar is of brown leather and the body is of black leather. The top of the collar has a small brass plate and each side of the wale has a decorative brass plate. // The brass hames are linked at the base by a chain and by a strap at the top. The tugs are covered with small brass plates and from the tugs are hung galvanised iron chains. The collar is 36 in. high. // 2. Saddle and girth and breeching. The saddle and girth are made of black leather and the straps are linked by brass buckles. The two reinforcing plates on the saddle and the chains on the girth are made of galvanised iron. The saddle has four decorative brass plates – one to each corner. // 3. Blinkers and bit. The blinkers and straps are made of black leather whilst the decorative background to the head brass, which bears a horse’s head, is of red leather. The centre of each of the panelled blinkers has a brass boss. The head strap carries a crest made of brass. The band which passes over the nose has a plate with the name, R. Ling & Son, Makers, Poplars, London, E.14.’ The bit is a simple twisted section with galvanised iron hooks. // 4. Martingale. It is 39 in long and carries four brasses each of which shows a horse’s head. The leather background to the brasses is red while the rest of the strap is black. // 5. The two black leather straps or runners are 77 in. long and 1 in. wide, each ending in a linked chain at one end and a buckle at the other. For a distance of 24 in. from the buckle, the black leather is overlaid by red leather decorated with a series of small brass hearts. // The Two black leather straps are runners or reins. The strap with red leather and brass hearts is another separate strap. // Made by: R. Ling & Son, Poplar, London, E.14.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, ‘Introductory Note’ by Andrew Jewell – ‘The objects shown in this Exhibition of Country Craftsmanship were originally purchased by the British Council in 1946. They were selected for exhibition in Australia and New Zealand as samples of traditional handcrafts which were then being practised in the British countryside. The Museum of English Rural Life was fortunate to acquire this valuable collection from the Council and to have the opportunity of displaying such a wide variety of skills. // Almost all the crafts shown are still to be found in this country although, in the intervening fifteen years, many of the small firms and individual craftsmen whose products are represented in the Exhibition, have given up working. The number who now remain to carry on these particular traditional crafts continues to decline with the growth of mechanization, the obsolescence of their products and the difficult of finding apprentices to follow them. // All the objects on display have one characteristic in common – they were made to be used. Any aesthetic qualities which the craftsman achieved grew without self-consciousness. Over long years of apprenticeship the craftsman developed an intimate knowledge of the raw material at his disposal and its peculiarities. He acquired by inheritance the methods of his craft which may have had a continuous tradition over centuries of time. And he was quite familiar with the way in which his product was to be used. // We can derive pleasure simply by looking at the shapes and decorations. Both, however, are inseparable from function and environment, and the objects can only be most fully appreciated by an understanding of the purpose for which each was intended. // This, then, is an exhibition of everyday things, made by men and women who might not think of themselves as artists, but whose work, nevertheless, has enriched the daily life of those who live with their products.’, MERL ‘Country Craftsmanship’ Exhibition Catalogue, 2 May–31 October 1961, p.12 – '124, 125. Thill Harness. An example of draught horse harness used in south and east England. // (R. Ling & Son, Poplar, London.)', British Council ‘Exhibition of Rural Handicrafts from Great Britain’ Exhibition Catalogue, 1946, ‘Introductory Note’ – ‘This exhibition contains only examples of handicrafts that are still being practised in the British Countryside. It is confined to the work of our traditional craftsmen and women who, with very few exceptions, would not think of themselves as artists or designers but whose work, nevertheless, so greatly enriches the daily life of those who live with and use their products. The work of these craftsmen, too, provides the basis from which many artist-craftsmen gain technical knowledge and inspiration. // Included with these rural crafts are eight screens showing handicraft processes which can be undertaken by schools or adults who wish to practise a craft at home. In this way we hope these examples of Britain’s country crafts may be related to a practical aspect of present day life in the Dominions and meet the increasing need to find satisfying ways of using the leisure which machinery now makes available to us. // Along with her traditional rural crafts Great Britain seeks to employ all the resources of modern agricultural science and engineering. We have therefore included with this exhibition some photographs showing examples of recent developments in agricultural machinery.’, British Council ‘Exhibition of Rural Handicrafts from Great Britain’ Exhibition Catalogue, 1946, p.47 – '94. Set of Thill Harness. R. Ling & son, Middlesex. // This is a typical set of good draft horse harness as used in all districts of Southern and Eastern England. In some agricultural districts in Eastern England the saddle is made without the housen and the wooden tree is painted in red and often lined with yellow. The martingale, the broad strap which runs between the forelegs, was originally used to prevent rearing and to keep the saddle girth in position. Now its use is chiefly decorative and it carries the brasses. On show occasions a carter will often decorate his horse with straps (known as runners) mounted with brass hearts.’, British Council Ref. No. NZ 94.

Poplar

1945 - 1946

Leather, Metal, brass, Metal