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Karl’s, Washington State, Parade Saddle with Don Ellis Silver Mountings.

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana / Collectibles - Old West Start Price:600.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
Karl’s, Washington State, Parade Saddle with Don Ellis Silver Mountings.
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Karl’s of Seattle, Washington, sterling silver mounted Parade Saddle, adorned with Don Ellis’s exquisitely and intricately engraved, heavy gauge silver mountings. Pictured in Karl’s early 1950s catalog as “The Chief Seattle” model, it is fully floral carved and built on a low roper tree with silver cantle and fork bindings, large, highly ornamented swell caps, horn cap and binding. Jockeys and fenders are trimmed in silver diamonds and half-diamonds and matching tapaderos featuring cut-out silver monogrammed letters. Excellent, rideable condition, circa 1950. Marked "36 / Karl's / SEATTLE".

Karl’s of Seattle
Karl’s of Seattle was owned by Karl L. Raab who employed one of the premier silversmiths on the west coast, Don Ellis (1913-1969), to manufacture mountings for their coveted line of parade saddles. Don grew up in Seattle where he was a self-taught silversmith and engraver. During his younger years as a rodeo rider, Don created his first rodeo trophy buckle for Ellensburg, Washington rodeo events. By the 1940s he was making silver saddles as well as gold and silver buckles. In the early 1950s Don created the lavish gold and silver presentation buckles for the Rodeo Cowboy Association and completed his crowning achievement, the Wes Williams’ saddle that is on display at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Don is often referred to as the “Ed Bohlin of the Pacific Northwest” when, in fact, his exquisite style of engraving met or exceeded the best that the renowned Hollywood Saddle Maker to the Stars ever had to offer.