SPUR

An incomplete gilt copper-alloy post-Medieval Rowell spur, probably dating to c. AD 1600-1700.

Description: The surviving fragment of the spur consists of the rear part of the spur with short sections of each arm, the neck and the rowel box, with the terminals of the arms as well as the rowell itself all missing. The arms are D-shaped in cross section, 2.9mm thick and broadening from 6.2mm wide to 9.5mm, where the two arms converge in a point on the upper edge. The outer face of the arms seem to have raised decorative lozenge along their lengths with hatched patterns across each of them but the wear obscures detail. From the point at which the arms converge the neck expands, this has a transverse, pointed oval cross section, 7.3mm wide by 5.1mm thick, and has a shallow U-shaped line in profile. At its terminal the neck bifurcates into the rowel box, but with either arm of the box terminating almost immediately in old breaks.

Measurements: length 49.71mm; width 54.45mm; thickness 13.31mm; weight 25.69g.

Discussion: Near identical rowell spurs were found in contexts dated to c. AD 1600-1650 and c. AD 1650-1700 during excavations in Norwich, and are illustrated by Margeson (1993: 221-222, nos. 1799 & 1800), who also cites the appearance of similar rowell spurs on portraits dating to the first half of the 17th century. Similar example shave also been reported to the PAS @: DEV-73C0BD and DEV-CC9F11.