Rowel Spur

Spurs were fit around the back of a rider’s heel to urge their horses to move faster.  To make the spur more effective, a sharp-toothed wheel was inserted into the end of the shank of a spur, called a rowel.

Made of plain iron and sporting a gilded neck, this once functional spur was later encrusted with silver decoration, probably to make it more appealing to a collector’s taste when it entered the art market.