Pair of Rowel Spurs

This pair of spurs, with heel bands decorated with copper inlays and pierced vegetal scrolls, was made for a Mexican charro (a Mexican cowboy) probably in the second half of the 18th century. They still retain some of the characteristics of the spurs made in the earlier part of the century, like the curved neck and the numerous and slender points of the rowel, but their proportions and the style of the heel band are already close to the types developed at the end of the 18th and in the 19th century. The rollers at the bottom of the terminals were for attaching a heel chain, an element missing from later examples, which only featured attachements for an upper strap. The loop on the external side of each rowel originally held a jingle bob, a small pendant jingling against the rowel when the wearer walks or rolls the spurs against the horse’s flanks.

Charros were originally land, horse, and cattle owners who had a high social and economic status. They would meet during ceremonies and festivals and demonstrate their skills through several varieties of rodeo games called charrería. Charros and charrería remain important parts of Mexican traditional culture. During these festive events, charros could display splendidly decorated horse tack and spurs, the latter being one of the primary symbols of their culture.