Bit Boss

The center of this circular bit boss is decorated with a putto on a green ground. He holds an arrow in his raised hand, a quiver and a bow in the other. A substantial part on the right side, including the putto's left arm, is an old restoration. The rim is decorated with a frieze of blue, green and yellow scallops on a dark blue ground adorned with foliate scrolls painted in gold. Few of them are actually original, the restored part also covering the original rivets' holes used for attaching the boss to the side of a horse bit.

The word originally painted in gold on the putto’s side starts with OCH (likely to be the first letters of the middle French word Ochaision). It has been completed in the restored patch by PIDO for Cupido, (the restorer apparently not recognizing the letters OCH.) The word ochaision (occasion in contemporary French), means opportunity. It indicates that the little putto is not the god of Love, but actually an allegory of Opportunity. In the 16th century, one of the attributes associated with Opportunity is indeed the arrow, an element shown for example on an illustration of Fortune Occasio by Jean Cousin.

Opportunity is an aspect of Fortune, and they are often combined in one allegory. Moreover, allegories of Fortune are regularly shown with a raised arm like the putto here, and he seems to have long hair, another attribute of Opportunity (as we have to catch the opportunity by the hair). Opportunity refers also to the Greek god Kairos, the right moment. This concept of kairos is also found in rhetoric, philosophy and Christian theology, and for Machiavelli, it is also echoing the virtu of the Prince. In the case of the boss bit here, however, it is possible that the visual similarity with Cupid symbolizes more specifically the opportunity in love.

Harness ornaments made of painted enamel are very rare, because of their extreme fragility. Such pieces would only be used on special events like parades or equestrian demonstrations.