"Rowel" Spur
Culture
German
Date1625–1650
Mediumgilt bronze and iron
Dimensions12.7 × 10.2 × 6 cm (5 × 4 × 2 3/8 in.), 7 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.980.1
DescriptionCast bronze-gilt; some chiseling and filing marks visible. Pair with WAM 2014.980.2. Broken-off neck & rowel box. "U"-shaped heel-plate of flattened semicircular section, face carved in alternating, addorsed crescents to produce undulating vine-like relief pattern. Lobated terminals fitted with large domed studs cut with spoked decoration. That on outer side has large, butterfly-shaped openwork gilt bronze buckle with iron tongue. A wide, finished leather strap of modern date spans studs & is slotted at ends, to fit them. Broken, balustered lozenge-section neck encircled by narrow, deeply recessed band. Rowel box extends down at right angle & decorated en suite with heel-plate. Rowel is 8 trifurcated points & encircled by thin, circular soldered rim. Rowel rotates on iron pin.Label TextAs the medieval knight transformed into the Renaissance gentleman, his equipment transformed with him. By the 1600s, armored horsemen wore boots instead of armor on their lower legs, and their spurs became increasingly elaborate fashion statements. This example is made of cast bronze covered in gold. Less robust than an iron spur, it was made for ceremonial occasions rather than for hard riding.ProvenancePurchased by Museum on January 31, 1933 from Theodore Offerman (NYC) who bought lot #55 for $12.50 from the Morosini sale, October 10, 1932. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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