Item ref: 4045
Private collection, Belgium
By the beginning of the 17th century the shape of spurs began to change from those often with straight necks to ones in which the neck arched up and then down, although the rowel was still held comfortably away from the wearer’s heel. Riding was an essential everyday activity for many and ordinary working spurs were commonplace, yet they also offered opportunities for the display of wealth, fashion or taste; as in past centuries, spurs were often made in complex forms and given a variety decoration.
This fine pair of spurs represents the epitome of style and quality for an English gentleman in the 1630s. Such spurs would have been worn over riding boots.