Old West & Native American Auction
Lot 1451:
Description
This is a wonderful example of a historically relevant, hand-braided rope, most likely a mecate, composed of raw animal hair, specifically horsehair based on its texture and dark brown color. This coarse fiber rope exhibits a substantial, multi-strand twist construction typical of a traditional mecate, which would have been used as a rein and lead rope in Spanish and vaquero traditions, particularly with a bosal hackamore. The close-up detail shows the bristly, natural guard hairs and a tightly packed core of lighter fibers, suggesting a blend of tail or mane hair, giving it the characteristic ‘live’ feel. The rope appears to be in overall good, preserved condition, consistent with barn-found or long-term storage, showing no significant fraying or breakage, though the entire length has a uniformly ‘fuzzy’ or spiky surface from the exposed individual hairs. The coiled length approximately 20 feet long with a diameter of roughly .5”. From the Western display in Donley’s Wild West Town.
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