Ulaanbaatar
Rare Heirlooms of Namnansuren’s Khatan Preserved in Uvurkhangai Museum
Art & Culture
Arvaikheer, January 12, 2026 /MONTSAME/. The snuff bottle and horse stirrups of Khatan Magsarjav, consort of Namnansuren Tugs-Ochir – the Khalkha Sain Noyon Khan and Mongolia’s first Prime Minister – are preserved in the collection of the Uvurkhangai aimag museum.
Among the rare artifacts held in the provincial museum’s depository are the snuff bottle and a pair of brass stirrups that Khatan Magsarjav once used. She was known to carry an agate snuff bottle featuring white veins, a coral stopper with a turquoise finial, and a gold collar. The exact provenance of how the museum acquired the snuff bottle remains unclear. Historical records, however, note that in 1940, while still alive, the khatan donated two gold ritual butter lamp cups to help establish a primary school in Guchin-Us soum, instructing that they be sold to raise funds.
Local elders also recount that in 1929, a small gold bowl that had belonged to the khatan was confiscated and later sold at auction, where it was purchased for MNT 300 by a man named Jamyansuren from Ilden Beili khoshuu, who at the time served as head of a cooperative in Uyanga soum.
The museum also safeguards an exquisitely crafted pair of brass stirrups adorned with silver ornamentation that were once used by Khatan Magsarjav. The stirrup bodies are made of brass, with a pierced “Natsagdorj” pattern engraved at the center of each footplate. The footplates are encircled with silver decorative patterns, while dragon motifs facing outward are carved on both sides of the hanger. The internal hanger is concealed, with the strap threaded from above and looped upward – an intricate design that demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship.
The stirrups are said to have been made by Zuugiin Yampil, a renowned master craftsman of the Sain Noyon khoshuu, celebrated for his work in gold and silver craftsmanship and steel engraving. His son, Dorj Yampil, and grandson Maani Dorj were also nationally recognized master artisans.
For background, Khatan Magsarjav – formally titled “Altan Navchit Khoshoi Khatan Dalai Dagina Tara” – was born in 1885. According to historical records, Namnansuren Tugs-Ochir took her as his khatan when he was in his early twenties. She was seven years his junior and came from the Tudev Gun khoshuu of Tusheet Khan aimag. Contemporary accounts describe her as a calm, dignified woman of gentle character, free from misconduct, and possessing clear, bright eyes.
