Rowel Spur

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This is a branchless spur that could be attached directly at the back on a regular shoe, for occasional and casual riding. The neck is mounted on a screw used for tightening it to the shoe’s leather. This type of spur, particularly popular in the Germanic lands, is described in the entry Eperon in the Swiss Encyclopédie d'Yverdon published in 1772 by Fortuné Barthélemy de Félice. It is said that "these spurs not being maintained by any kind of tie, they can be lost very easily [...]. We leave them to doctors, barbers, village priests, and monks. They are known in some countries and by some spur-makers by the name 'Carthusian spurs' (éperons à la chartreuse)."

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