Pair of Rowel Spurs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pair of spurs belong to a type particularly favored, but not worn exclusively by, confederate officers during the American Civil War. Such spurs were often advertised in catalogues of military equipment such as Schuyler, Hartley and Graham's Illustrated Catalogue of Arms and Military Goods, published in 1864, from which officers could order this kind of good. The eagle refers of course to the emblem of the United States and these spurs were worn as a sign of patriotism. They might have been inspired by similar contemporary spurs made in other countries also using an eagle as an emblem, such as Mexico or the German Empire. This spur has been cast using galvanoplasty, a relatively new technique at the time for reproducing three-dimensional objects. Galvanoplasty, also called electrotyping, is a chemical process using electric currents that coats a mold, previously immersed in a solution, with metal (here a copper alloy). It is very likely that the pair was then silvered using a similar process, called electroplating. The rowel, however, a part constantly in contact with the horse's flanks, is cast in iron, a stronger metal.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art