Pair of Rowel Spurs

Stephen Pilcherd

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These spurs are rare examples of a distinctive group of English enameled brassware made in London in the workshops of Stephen Pilcherd and Anthony Hatch during the second half of the seventeenth century. Formed of sturdy cast brass and decorated with elaborate foliate and figural ornament picked out in several colors of fired enamel, the majority of these wares were made for domestic use, like candlesticks and firedogs, though the rugged materials were equally well suited for equestrian equipment, like stirrups, spurs, and bits. An important group of these enameled brasses are in The Met’s Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, whereas the holdings of the Department of Arms and Armor include, in addition to these spurs, a pair of stirrups (2018.66a, b). The spurs are the only recorded matched pair of their kind.

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