The "Ute Chieftain" by Heiser - Keyston, Doubtless Among the Rarest, Most Beautiful, and Most Intrinsically Valuable Western Saddles Ever Produced. This being possibly the finest example known of the handful of specimens ever crafted by the Heiser - Keyston Co., circa 1950. The origin of these magnificent silver parade saddles can be traced to the nineteenth century vaqueros in California. Wealthy landowners decorated their saddles with ornate silver trim, complex stitching, and elaborately carved leather work. Heiser - Keyston was among the top craftsmen based shops in the mid-twentieth century, and the largest manufacturers of saddlery on the west coast. The "Ute Chieftain" has been characterized by collectors as "the kind of saddle you think of when you think of silver saddles" and was described by Heiser - Keyston in their catalog as "the finest ever made" and "the acme of sterling silver saddlery". The description of the saddle warranted two full pages in their catalog, with the salient details as follows: "...made of the finest select leather, fully hand carved. The cantle, horn and swells are completely encased in heavy hand engraved sterling silver. Massive 21" taps are made with solid sterling silver fronts. Miniature 14K gold Indian heads are overlaid on every other sterling silver square that rims the saddle and taps. Not even the smallest detail is overlooked. Here is truly a saddle masterpiece." Additionally, on this example, the top of the horn is overlaid with a large deep relief, 14K gold Indian head, of the same form as the smaller heads used throughout the saddle. Every piece of silver is either embossed or elegantly and profusely engraved with floral and scroll motifs.