Spain / 1200s
Pricked Spur
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Pricked Spur as arms and armor (Spain · 1200s).
Before they were made of metal, the earliest spurs were probably thorns that were attached to the back of the heel.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as steel.
The museum's collection notes: 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. This example represents 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.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPricked SpurOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.