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Pricked Spur
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The spur was an essential part of the knight's equipment. Fastened to his heels by means of straps and buckles, it was used to prod a horse into action. These examples represent the oldest type recorded, the "pricked" spur, so-called because its neck terminated in a spike. The pricked spur was replaced during the Middle Ages by the "rowel" spur, with a rotating spiked wheel.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit linePricked Spur, 1200s. Spain. Steel; overall: 14.9 x 7.9 cm (5 7/8 x 3 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1604
