Pair of Rowel Spurs

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pair of spurs, made in Paris between 1798 and 1809 according to its silver hallmarks, copies a popular contemporary English type. The neck and rowel are attached to a tab clipping into a rectangular opening with a spring, making it detachable. This type of spur is described in the entry Eperon in the Swiss Encyclopédie d'Yverdon published in 1772 by Fortuné Barthélemy de Félice. He calls it a 'spring spur' (éperon à ressort). There, it is explained that the drawback of such spurs is once the neck is separated from the heel plate, it is so small it is easy to loose. These spurs are entirely made of silver, except for a screw in the heel, the rowel and the buckles' prongs, made of iron, silver being too soft and fragile to be used for these parts.

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