SPUR

Copper alloy rowel spur. The rowel is missing and the right side is broken in two. The spur is very ornate with seveal methods and styles of decoration. The sides are generally d-sectioned but are also deeply moulded with ridges, constrictions and expanded areas. Both sides are decorated in the same manner and from back to front the cast decoration is as follows: at the rear the sides have a longitudinal ridge which ends in two raised and expanded rectangular knops. Next to this is a drop-shaped panel (tapering proximally), a narrow transverse rectangular ridge, another slightly down curving drop-shaped panel (tapering distally), a transverse ridge, a third drop-shaped panel (tapering distally)and a final transverse ridge in front of the terminal. The terminals are bi-fid with two circular attachment holes in each. These contain traces of iron corrosion. The proximal half of the neck is angled downwards from the back, the distal half is angle upwards from it at 90 degrees. The distal half of the neck is split to form the rowel box. The terminals of the rowel box are circular, each with a central attachement hole filled with iron corrosion from the missing bar. The neck is similarly decorated. It is generally lozenge sectioned with four slight ridges longitudinally (one at each of the angles). There are four expanded transverse ridges (one at the point where the neck changes angle) cast in the round and forming chevrons. The outside of the sides spur are further decorated with flat, cast curvilinear designs with stamped ring and dot infill. The neck is further decorated with crossing diagonal lines of stamped ring and dot. Many of the ridges on the neck and the sides ahve incised transverse line decoration. The ring and dot areas retain traces of gilding.