Spanish Colonial Pair of Silver Spurs

This pair of spurs designed to be worn over the boots was for a male rider. They are entirely of cast silver other than the actual rotating spike wheels which are made of iron. The ends are decorated with star motifs.

They were intended to be worn by a well-to-do gaucho or skilled horseman. Skilled horsemen were highly valued in Argentina particularly in the 19th century given that beef and cattle were one of the country’s main industries and export earners. Indeed, largely because of this, Argentina had one of the highest per capita incomes in the world by the end of the 19th century. This advantage was subsequently lost on account of appalling government economic mismanagement over the next hundred years.

Luis Ribera & Schenone (1981, p. 341) illustrate an almost identical pair.

The pair here are in excellent condition.