Pair of Rowel Spurs

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pair of Rowel Spurs by Unknown. Two spurs, oriented diagonally; the lower one larger than the upper. The spurs have a silver-gray color with darker discoloration and decorative etching. The neck of each spur is long and curves down at the end. The rowel, located on the end of the curved portion, has eight points. The metal on both spurs near the rowel is bulbous, having four protrusions on either side. The heel bands are decorated with scrollwork; the shank attaches to the heel bands with small scrollwork. The shank is wide and flat with scrollwork at the top; there is a rectangular slot through which the leather enters and attaches to a pronged strap.