Deccan Stirrup

This is a rare, Deccan or Mughal, cast bronze stirrup with parakeets and lions. At the base is a rectangular footrest. The sides are pierced, the arching strap has lions at the base, and the strap loop has parakeets on either side.
“The stirrup greatly increased the rider's ability to stay in the saddle and control the mount, increasing the animal's usefulness to humans in areas such as communication, transportation and warfare. Some (therefore) argue that the stirrup was one of the basic tools used to create and spread modern civilization, possibly as important as the wheel or printing press. The invention of the stirrup occurred relatively late in history, considering that horses were domesticated in approximately 4500 BC. The earliest manifestation of the stirrup was a toe loop that held the big toe and was used in India late in the second century BC, though it may have appeared as early as 500 BC.” - Wiki.