Defining Attributes

Bridle bosses are decorative metal pieces that were attached to the sides of some curb bits during the colonial period. They are usually made of copper alloy, and have two tabs or integrated holes that allow them to be attached to curb bits with iron or brass rivets. Bridle bosses conceal the area where the bit’s mouth-pieces and cheek pieces attach.

Terminology

Bridle bosses are also known as cheek bosses or cheek pieces, though the term “cheek piece” also applies to other parts of a bridle bit. The bridle bosses shown on this site were used specifically on curb bits as opposed to other bits such as snaffle bits and bridoons. For images and descriptions of these bit types, click here. Curb bits are specialized bits used for steering and stopping. They could be used on saddle horses for riding or driving and harness horses for pulling carts, coaches, etc.

Chronology

Bridle bosses vary depending on the molds used by the manufacturers, but similarities in styles are evident over time. Based on the current assemblage at the MAC Lab, it seems that elaborate bridle bosses with decorative molded patterns and openwork tend to be found on sites with 17th-century components and upper class inhabitants. Plain dome shapes with a nipple at center and plain round rivet tabs are found on 17th and 18th-century sites. Plain dome shapes that generally have wider rivet tabs with concave sides tend to be found only on 18th-century sites. The trend therefore seems to be a decrease in ornamentation over time. A similar trend is seen in the metal pieces that decorated the leather straps on horse accoutrements. As the sample size of both leather ornaments and bridle bosses at the MAC Lab increases we hope to test and refine these general chronological trends.

How to Navigate the Bridle Bosses

This website shows all of the bridle bosses that have been located in the MAC Lab’s collections, and they can be searched by style category or by viewing all photos. Click on any thumbnail image for larger photos of the front and back, measurements, and details on site context and date range. Click on any site number or name to link to a page summarizing that site’s history and excavation.

Authorship and Acknowledgements

The Bridle Boss section of the Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland webpage was written by Sara Rivers Cofield, Curator of Federal Collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab). Conversion to web format was completed by Sharon Raftery, MAC Lab Administrative Assistant. The author thanks Richard Nicoll, Director of Coach and Livestock Programs for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, for his willingness to share his expertise with this project. The author is also grateful to MAC Lab staff members Patricia Samford, Ed Chaney, Rebecca Morehouse, and Erin Wingfield who provided editorial assistance or aided in locating artifacts.