- DIMENSIONS:
- Length
(overall) 282 mm, (neck and goad) 146 mm; Span (distorted) 107mm
- DESCRIPTION:
- Pair of
iron prick spurs with straight, round-section sides flattening a little
near the slender rectangular terminals, each of which has two horizontal
slots. One spur has a side broken, leaving a small stump. Although it
would still fit closely around the back of a wearer's heel, the sides
of the complete spur have been opened beyond their original span. The
incomplete spur shows signs of having had quite a narrow span. Rectangular
vertical loop above the junction of neck and sides, decorated with a
simple incised line pattern, as is the flat triangular surface beneath
it. The loop has a key-hole shaped perforation through front and back.
The short, rounded quadrangular neck expands towards the flat circular
neck-plate, behind which the long goad swells very slightly before tapering
to a point. The rear surface of the neck-plate is decorated with a pattern
of two interlaced double-line squares forming an eight-pointed star,
in and around which is a scrolled line pattern, inlaid in silver. The
goad has similar scroll decoration between double lines.
- COMMENTARY:
- The style
represented by this pair of spurs continued to be worn almost unchanged
until modern times in North Africa, making it impossible typologically
to date it closely. The 1656 catalogue included references to "Barbary
Spurres" and "Spurres from Turkey", without stating how
many in either case, while in 1685, only two pairs of Barbary spurs
were recorded. The pair described here is typical of that region of
North Africa formerly known as Barbary. The Islamic riders of Turkey
also wore prick spurs, but there appears to be no evidence for the use
of the specific Barbary style in that country.
- Museum Id. No:
- 1656
p. 48: Barbary Spurres pointed Sharp like a Bodkin or Spurres from Turkey
1685 B no. 754: Duo calcaria Barbarica ferrea
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