arms and armor permanent collection the metropolitan museum of art bulletin v 49 no 1 summer 1991

7/22/2019 Arms and Armor Permanent Collection the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin v 49 No 1 Summer 1991

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DIRECTORS NOTE

THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART BULLETINSummer 1991 VolumeXLIX,Number (ISSN0026-1521)Published quarterly? 1991by The MetropolitanMuseum of Art,1000 Fifth Avenue, New York,N.Y. 10028-0198. Second-classpostage paid at New York,N.Y., and Additional Mailing Offices.TheMetropolitanMuseum fArtBulletin s providedas abenefit toMuseum members and available by subscription. Subscriptions$22.00 a year.Single copies $5.95. Fourweeks' notice requiredforchange of address. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges toMembership Department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art,1000 Fifth Avenue, New York,N.Y. 10028-0198. Back issuesavailableon microfilmfromUniversity Microfilms,300 N. ZeebRoad, Ann Arbor,Mich. 48106. Volumes I-XXXVII (1905-1942)availableas aclothbound reprintset or as individual yearlyvolumes fromAyerCompanyPublishers, Inc., 50 NorthwesternDrive #10, Salem, N.H. 03079, orfrom the Museum, Box 700,Middle Village, N.Y. 11379. General Managerof Publications:John P. O'Neill. Editor in Chief of the Bulletin:JoanHolt.AssistantEditor.ToniaPayne. Production:MatthewPimm. Design:MaryAnnJoulwan.NEWPHOTOGRAPHYOFMAOBJECTS YOI-CHEONGLEEOFTHE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART PHOTOGRAPH STUDIO.

APHOTOGRAPHS OF JAPANESE ARMOR BYHARUO TAKEMOTO OFTHE OTSUKA KOGESHA COMPANY LTD. except page 57.

Photographsby The MetropolitanMuseum of ArtPhotographStudio: pages 6-9, 10(top), 11 right), 12 top), 14-16, 19, 20 (top),25 (top), 28-33, 34 (right), 36, 37 (top right),38, 42 (top), 43, 44(bottom), 45 (bottom left), 47 (top), 48 (top), 49, 50 (bottom), 51(top), 55 (bottom).Photographson page 23 by courtesyof the Boardof Trustees of theVictoriaand Albert Museum, London.Front cover: Armor of Henry 1Iof France, design attributed toEtienne Delaune, French(possibl Pars), ca. 1555Insidefront cover: Detailfrom thebackplate of the Henry I1armor illustrated on front cover

rmsand armorhave been integralto the collections of theMetropolitanMuseum since it wasestablished in 1870. Twoof the earliest elective Trustees, William H. Riggs andRutherfurdStuyvesant, were dedicated to this specialized field, andover the years objects from their collections have been displayed inthe arms and armorgalleries. In 1896 the Metropolitanreceived itsfirst substantialgift of 166pieces fromthe estate of John StoneacreEllis. Fourteenyears later the purchaseof the entire Duc de Dinocollection, formedin Parisfrom 1880to 1900, broughtour holdings

up to aposition of international mportance.The arrivalof the de Dino pieces called forgreaterresidentcuratorialexpertise, and in 1906BashfordDean (1867-1928) wasappointed honorarycuratorof arms and armor.A zoologist, teacher,and curatorof fishes at the AmericanMuseum of NaturalHistory,aswell as a collector of armsand armor,Dean broughtto the job ascientific mind and a passionateenthusiasm. For more than twentyyears, he acquiredobjects, cultivated donors, arrangedexhibitions,and wrote handbooks, catalogues, and innumerable articles. Dean'senthusiasm was infectious, and other artmuseums, such as those atCleveland and St. Louis, expanded their holdings to include armsand armor.The greatprivatecollections formedbyWilliamRandolphHearst, George F. Harding, and C. 0. von Kienbusch, now whollyor in partin the museums at Detroit, Chicago, and Philadelphia,also owe much to Dean'sexample.In 1912the Trustees voted to make the collection of armsandarmor,until then partof the Department of Decorative Arts,aseparatedepartment, and Dean was named curator.Three yearslaterthe Museum opened its firstfull-scale installation,whichincluded approximately2000 objects given by WilliamH. Riggs in1913and galleries forJapanese and otherAsianand Islamicarms.While the Museum's outstanding collection of Europeanarmsand armor s well known, manyvisitorsmay not be awarethat wepossess the finest and mostcomprehensiveJapaneseholdingsoutsideof Japan. Their breadthand quality areagainowed to BashfordDean, who acquiredpieces while workingin Japandeveloping fishhatcheriesfrom1900 to 1905. Americanswere among the firsttolook towardJapanwith its traditionof aestheticism, and aside fromDean, benefactors such as H.O. Havemeyer and HowardMansfieldhave also added to the preeminence of our collection.Since its establishment, the department'sholdings have growntoinclude approximately14,000objects of European, American,Asian,


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and Islamicorigin, rangingfromthe fifth throughthe nineteenthcentury. BashfordDean's superb Japanese collection was acquiredby purchase in 1914,and the best of his European objects came tothe Museum throughhis bequest in 1928and gifts and purchasesin1929. Gloriousarmors rom Trustee Clarence Mackay'sfabledcollection were purchased duringthe depths of the Depression, andin 1942,an additional several hundred Mackaypieces were presentedto the Museum by Stephen V Grancsay,Dean'sassistant and suc-cessor. Fourthousand Asian and Islamicobjects were bequeathed tothe Museum by George C. Stone in 1935. The Museum continuesto collect in the field of arms and armor.Among the notable recentacquisitions illustratedin the Bulletinare two splendid Frenchfirearms,the very earlyflintlock hunting gun that belonged toLouis xiIIof France and the sumptuously decorated Rococo gunby Louis Jaley-both acquiredthroughthe HarrisBrisbane Dickand RogersFunds-and the stunning Hispano-Moresque helmet,acquiredthroughthe generosity of The Vincent AstorFoundation.In November the Metropolitanwill open its new armsand armorgalleries. A highlight of the renovation will be the firstmajorinstallation in overfifty yearsof objects fromour renownedJapanesecollection. Othergallerieswill be devoted to Europeanparadeandtournamentarmor,European edged weapons and firearms,Islamicarmsand armor,and American arms. The renovation will retainthearchitectural ntegrityof the handsome Pierpont MorganWing,which opened in 1910and has housed arms and armorsince 1956.Manystaffmembers workedlong and diligently to give thisdistinguished collection, at last, the presentation it deserves. Wearevery gratefulto StuartW Pyhrr,curatorof armsand armor,and toall of his co-workers n the department, Donald LaRocca, MorihiroOgawa,and MarieKoestler,and to members of the ArmorShop,RobertCarroll,armorer,Theodore Monnich, and Ann Willard, ortheir unstinting effortsduringthis complex undertaking.This Bulletin,written by Helmut Nickel, curatoremeritus of theDepartment of Armsand Armor,sets fortha richvarietyof objects ina handsomely illustratedand informativesurvey.We hope that itwill serve as an enticement to visit the galleries in the fall andjoinus in welcoming back-after a long hiatus-the collection that hasbeen one of the most memorableMuseum experiences forvisitorsof all ages.

PhilippedeMontebelloDirector


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Pagefroman illustratedmanuscript ournamentbook,Nuremberg,afterl 561


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INTRODUCTION

.F rom the beginning armsand art were essential elements in the lifeof mankind. Weaponsfor the hunt, such as spears, throwingclubs,and bows and arrows,were necessarytools in the daily struggle forsurvival. Art seems to have begun primarilyas hunting magic. By paintingimages of game animals on cave walls and carvingthem on spear-throwersand arrow traighteners,huntersattempted to use supernaturalmeans tosecure an abundantsupply of meat and hides for food and clothing. Thestruggle for survival must have included fightswith spearand club againstrivalhumangroupsforcontrolof life-supportinghunting grounds.Since armswere literallya matter of life and death, either as weaponsdesigned to kill oras armordesigned to protect fromharm, it was crucialthat they were constructed formaximum effect and with the greatesttechnical efficiency; in manycases this process resulted in functionalbeauty. To further enhance the aesthetic and ideological values of arms-and not least to emphasize their significanceas status symbols-arms ofall periodswere embellished with awide rangeof designs and in everytechnique known to the decorative arts.In classicalantiquity the patron deity of the arts was PallasAthena, whowas represented as helmeted, armored,and carryinga shield and a spear.Athena'sweapons were of supernaturalorigin:she was bornfully armedfromthe browof Zeus. Significantly,there was one among the Olympiangods who worked with his hands at a humancraft, the divine smith,Hephaestos-known as Vulcan to the Romans-who not only createddazzling jewelry forthe goddesses but also manufacturedimpenetrableand splendidly decorated armor orthe god of war,Ares, or Mars,as wellas forthe mortal hero Achilles.

In the Iliad Homer describes the shield of Achilles, wroughtas a mirrorof the world "in imperishablebronze, some tin, and precious gold andsilver."When Mycenae wasexcavated in 1875by Heinrich Schliemann,he found in its shaft gravesswordsand daggersdecoratedwith superbmulticoloredinlaysin the technique vividly described by Homer and ofsuch artistic finesse that they would have met with the approvalof evenHephaestos.Under the influence of Christianity,duringthe so-called DarkAges,the divine craftsmanwas transformed nto a human figure, the legendaryWaylandthe Smith, who worked in gold as well as in steel, fashioning


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jewels so temptingly beautiful as to swaythe virtue of princesses, andforgingswordblades-painstakingly wrought fromcunningly interwovenstrands of ironand steel-that were sharpenough to cut tufts of wooldriftingin a stream. The craftof the smith was believed to hold a powerfulmagic, and the images of even the greatestof Celtic or Germanicheroes,such as Cuchulain and Siegfried, were enhanced by the fact that theywere apprenticedto smiths.Forcenturies master craftsmen remainednameless, but when awakeningartistic self-esteem in the Renaissance let artistsstep out of the shadowsofanonymity,the greatest names, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Hans Holbein,AlbrechtDiirer,and Benvenuto Cellini, were found quite matter-of-factlyamong those of designers and manufacturersof arms.

TheCrossbowMaker TheGunstockMaker

Because of their value as trophies, not only for their commemoration ofheroic deeds but also for their artisticmerit, armswere among the earliestrecorded"collectors' items": Homer'sAjaxand Odysseus quarreledoverthe arms of the dead Achilles; Greek city-states deposited trophyarmsat the sacredprecinctof Olympia. In a similarway practicallyall well-preservedmedieval arms have come down to us either as partsof cathedraltreasures,such as the helmet of Saint Wenceslasand the sword of SaintStephen at the cathedralof SaintVitus in Prague, or as reverently keptfuneraltrappings,such as the helmet and shield of Edward, the BlackPrince (1330-1376), at Canterbury.The collecting of arms is often nostalgic in character.One of the earliestsystematiccollectors was KingCharlesviii of France(r. 1483-98), whoseSalle d'armesat Amboise was purportedto contain the sword of Lancelot,


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the battle ax of the Frankishking Clovis, and (somewhatmorecredibly) thesword of Joanof Arc. EmperorMaximilianI(r. 1493-1519), fittingly knownas "the last of the knights," was an armorenthusiast who collected armsexplicitly zumgedichtnussas memorials),and his descendants, EmperorCharlesv (r.1519-56) and King Philip II of Spain (r.1556-98), andparticularlyArchduke Ferdinandof Austria and the Tyrol(1529-1595),shared this family connoisseurshipof fine armor.Archduke Ferdinandbrought together in his Heldenrustkammer (Armoryof Heroes), at CastleAmbrasnearInnsbruck, a vast arrayof armorand weapons fromknownowners-of formergenerationsas well as his contemporaries.His collection,which is now the nucleus of the unsurpassed Hofjagd- und Rustkammer(CourtHunting and ArmorCollection) at Vienna, was the first to be

The wordCutler TheMail Maker

documented and made accessible to the public by a fully illustratedcatalogue published in 1601.

Princely armories,such as those of the Hapsburg emperorsat Vienna,the kings of Spain at Madrid, the kings of England at the Tower ofLondon, the kings of Sweden at Stockholm, and the dukes of Saxony atDresden, by theirvery nature contain arms of the highest historical as wellas artisticsignificance, but civic pride has preserved, as memorials todeeds of fame, the survivingarsenals of cities: at Bern, Basel, Geneva,Solothurn, and Zurich, in Switzerland;at Venice and Florence, in Italy;at Vienna and Graz, in Austria;and at Munich, Bernau, and Emden, inGermany.The first museum of arms and armorestablished on modern scientificprecepts of typology and chronologywas-as might be expected fromthe


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Age of Reason-the Depot de Modeles d'Armeset d'Autres Machines deGuerre, now the Musee de l'Armee, Paris, founded in 1796. The Depotwas set up for the purposeof militaryinstruction, and most Europeanstates followed suit, establishing theirown armymuseums.

Although privatecollectors of the nineteenth century were free toindulge in knights-in-shining-armorromanticism,in the museum world,collecting, influenced by the naturalsciences, followed methodologicalprinciples. It is significantthat the latest and most encyclopedic of thegreatcollections of arms and armor, hat of The MetropolitanMuseumof Art, became the firstspecialized department of the Museum in 1912,and was headed by a zoologist, Bashford Dean.As partof a museum of art, the departmentcollects armsof artisticvalue of all civilizations, from all partsof the world, and of all periods,from the Fall of Rome (earlierarms are the domainof archaeologicaldepartments)to the present. Althoughstrictly militaryarms,mass-producedafterthe establishment of standingarmies in the late seventeenth century,areleft to the historical and militarymuseums, expertise in historical armscan be of greatvalue even in moderntimes. Forexample, duringWorldWar i the flakjacket and the steel helmet of the U.S. Armywere createdfollowing designs and recommendationsby the staffof the ArmsandArmorDepartment.

TheArmorerFroma seriesof woodcutsfrom StdndeundHandwerker, yJost Amman,

Frankfurt mMain, 1568


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ARMS OF THEWESTERNMIGRATIONS

Spangenhelm,aid to have beenound in theSaoneRiver,France,Ostrogothic,ixthcentury


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Shieldboss,LateRoman,secondhalfof thefourthcenturyA.D.

hese objects, from the periodof the great migrationsthathastened the fall of Rome, areamong the oldest in ourcollections.Helmets of the migratingGermanictribes, the so-calledbarbarians,were of the Spangenhelmype, constructedof ironplates fitted intoa frameworkof bronze or ironstraps(Spangen).These helmets were atranslation nto metal of the felt caps of the steppe nomads who hadinfiltratedeastern Europe forcenturies and, with the arrivalof the

Huns in 375, set the migration n motion. Eastern Germanictribes,such as the Goths, adopted the horse culture of their nomadneighbors, including its arms and equipment. The Museum'sSpangenhelmsee page 9) was found in France,but it is one of adistinctive groupthat evidently came from a common workshop,possibly the courtarmoryof the Ostrogothic kings at Ravenna, whowould have sent these helmets to allied princes as diplomaticpresents.The round wooden shields of the barbarianwarriorshad a centralgripcovered by an ironshield boss to protect the holding hand.

Langobardichieldboss,seventhcentury


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Painted shield surfaces and applied ornaments on the shield bossesserved as tribal and personalmarksof identification. The Germanicpeople who succeeded the Ostrogothsin Italyduring the late sixthcenturywere the Langobards.Of the two Langobardicshield bossesshown here, one bears a gilt-bronze mounting of three griffins'heads(opposite, bottom), an ornament derived from the animalstyle ofthe steppe nomads with whom the Langobardscame in contactduringtheir trek throughwhat is now Hungary.The cruciformapplique on the other boss (below) indicates that its owner was aChristian. The third shield boss, with an overlayof gilt sheet silverstudded with glass cabochons (opposite, top), was found at theLate Romancemetery of Vermand,Belgium, in what seems to havebeen the graveof an officer of auxiliarycavalrytroopsof Sarmatianorigin. The Sarmatianswere another tribe of eastern nomads thatswept into the west duringthe turmoilof the MigrationPeriod.

Producing good sword blades was a challenge to smiths from thetime they first mastered the workingof iron and steel. Hardenedsteel becomes brittle, and softerwrought iron cannot keep an edge.Celtic smiths of the La Tene Culture (ca. 300 B.c.) found thesolution to this problem by hammer-welding stripsof iron and steeltogether as a blade core, and adding a separate edge of very hardsteel. To better observe the changing temperaturesof the metal-from dark red to white hot-hammer-welding was often done atnight, adding to the mystique of the smith.The Viking sword illustrated here (right) is of this construction,although in its excavated condition it has lost the attractive"dragon-skin"patternof light and darkspots produced by this technique.The silver inlaysof its hilt had more than ornamentalvalue; silverwas thought to be an effective protectionagainstevil magic thatcould blunt the sword.

Vikingword,ound nFrance,_shccrrl-Fi_3~ tenthentury

Langobardic hieldboss,seventhcentury


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Ornamentalplaqueofa knight,westernEuropean (possiblyEnglish),ca. 1300

CHIVALRY&HORSEMANSHIPhivalrywas the code for the ideal way of life of the knight, thechevalier.As the name implies, chivalrywasintimatelyconnectedwith the horse (lechevalin French)and horsemanship.Atrained warhorsewas an enormouslyvaluable asset, both for the

practicalpurposesof fighting and as a status symbol. In accordancewith its value a horse was often decked out in sumptuous trappingsofvelvet orbrocadewith the armorialbearingsof its master embroideredin gold or silver thread. A charger'sheadstallalso could be fitted with acrest like that on a knight's own helmet.Less conspicuous elements of ridingequipment, too, were fashionedin ways, such as gilding and enameling, that made them statussymbols. Enameling was a technique almost as expensive asjeweling

Rowelspur,Spanish(Catalan), ca. 1400


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i W-.v11 a

S.ordwsepa

Sword,westernEuropean,ca. 1400, anddetailshowinginscriptiononpommel

MEDIEVALARMShe knightlyweaponparexcellencewasthesword. Forthe medieval mind, which gavedeep spiritual significance to even everydayobjects, the knight's sword and its partswere full of

meaning. In the fifteenth-century chivalricromanceTirantlo Blanc, which Cervantes called "the bestbook in the world," a wise old hermit explains thesignificanceof a knight's weapons. The sword is"the noblest of weapons," because its cruciformshape symbolizes the Cross, on which Christdiedforthe salvationof mankind, "and every true knightshould do likewise, bravingdeath to preserve hisbrethren."The pommel symbolizes the world, "foraknight is obliged to defend his king." The two edgesand the point of the sword indicate that the knightshould serve in three ways; to protect the Church, tofight forhis king, and to see to it that "commonfolk" are not abused.

The swordillustratedhere (left) bearsengravedon the silver inlaid rimof its pommel the inscriptionSUNT HIC.ETIAM.SUA.PRAEMIA.AUDI(Here, too,virtuehas its due reward),a quotation fromVirgil'sAeneid(i:461).This inscriptionsuggests that the sword wasa gift froma cultured and learned lordhonoringafaithfulvassal. During the Middle Ages the Aeneidwas reputed to have prophetic qualities, and thequotationmight havebeen thought to extend magicalprotectionto the sword'sowner.The fourteenthcentury saw a profoundchange inthe appearanceof the knight; fromabout 1350on,there evolved the image of the "knight in shiningarmor,"clad in brightlypolished steel plates. SinceRomantimes the main body defense had been mail,constructedof interlinkedsteel rings.An improvementin the spanningmechanismof the crossbowincreasedthe penetrating powerof the bolts, which now couldpierce mailwith ease. The solution was to construct

'''"3" ji5 ? -r?-I' ?CT.; 'tc t?i. ? ?.I ? , ,

.r _'?i.lu


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armorwith surfaces that could deflect these hard-hitting missiles. To make the deflecting surfacesasefficient as possible, individualarmorelements beganto be shaped in ways that anticipated streamlining.This shaping is particularlyevident in helmets withpointed "pig-faced" or "hounskull" (hound's-skull)visors, like the one at the left.One resultof the introductionof plate armorwasthe gradualdisappearanceof the formerly indispen-sable shield. The stiff plate arm and hand defensesmade it awkward o slip into the shield grips, andthe platesof bodyarmorhad sufficient shock resistanceof their own to make the shield superfluous.Another result was a change in men'sway ofdressing. The plates protecting the torso were fittedinto the surcoat,or coat-of-arms,worn over the mailshirt. The loosely fitting mail shirt-of the same cutas the medieval gown-could be pulled on like asweater,but the plate-lined surcoathad to be tightlyfitted to prevent chafing, and therefore could not bepulled on over the head; it had to open in the frontand buckle like a vest. The majorcomponents werethe halves of a shaped breastplatecoveringthe chest,called in Englandapairof plates. Before the develop-ment of plate armor,knights chargedwith their left(shield) side turned towardtheir enemies. Evenafter shields wereabandoned, this practicecontinued;and impactsof lance and swordwere expected to hitprimarilyon the knight's left side. To let these blowsslide off, the left plate of the pairhad to overlaptheright-which seems to be the reasonwhy men'sjackets are still buttoned left over right.The armorwith a pig-faced helmet and a pairofplates covered in redvelvet (left) is reconstructedfromelements found in an excavation of the ruins ofthe Venetian outpost at Chalcis, on the Greek islandof Euboea, which was destroyedby the Turks in 1470.

Armor,composed fpieces ound at Chalcis, Euboea, Greece;Italian, ca. 1400

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HELMETSj reat skill and experience were needed to createa full suit of armor n all its complexity. Someof the leading armorshops, the Missaglia in

Milan, forexample, employed specialists who workedexclusively in fashioningcertainelements, such as theintricately jointed arm and leg defenses, fingered gaunt-lets, or visored helmets.The makingof a visored helmet was a particularchallenge because it not only demanded finesse in

riH^^^m^^^~~fitting together the movable parts, but also requiredaninspiredtouch and great patience to hammer the sweep-ing form of the bowl from an ironingot. In shaping thebowl, care had to be taken to leave the material suffi-ciently thick at points of stress; in less importantareasSallet,attributedto orenzHelmschmid, .SallearmabnAuer,dr H1 it could be hammered thin to save weight.GermanAugsburg),a.1495 This sallet (top), with its visor and chinpiece, thebevor,rotatingon common pivots, is a fine exampleof the ingenuity of an armorer n making a complicatedpiece of armor unction with the greatest economy. Thestyle and qualityof workmanshipsuggest that it wasfashioned by one of the greatest armorersof the latefifteenth century, Lorenz Helmschmid of Augsburg(1445-1516). The survivingportionof brass trimon itsvisor matches the decorative borderson armor n theRistkammer, Vienna, that is known to have beencreated by Helmschmid forEmperorMaximilianI.

War:~!~ ~~~~~~The warhat, orchapel-de-fer (center), is a tour deforce of execution; its vigorously spiral-patternedbowland deeply swept brim are shaped out of a single plateof iron. The helmet's elegance suggests a provenancefromthe most sophisticated courtof western Europe,that of the dukes of Burgundy.In Burgundianart head-

Warhat(chapel-de-fer),esternuropean pieces similar to this chapel-de-fer arerepresented with(probably urgundian),a.1475 richtrimmingsand finials of silver gilt. Any suchtrimmingshave disappearedfrom this example, leavingthe steel of this unique helmet in its sublime purity.The third helmet on this page is a Rennhutbottom), asallet worn in a specificallyGermanvariant of the joust,theScharfrennen,nwhich sharp ances were used insteadof those fitted with coronels. Its etched decoration is in

the style of the printmakerDaniel Hopfer (ca. 1470-1536), of Augsburg,who workedclosely with KolmanHelmschmid (1471-1532), the son of Lorenz. Theinitials LM are thought to be those of King Louis II ofHungary(r. 1516-26) and his queen, Mary.The Rennhutas well as the sallet were kept forcenturies in the storeroomsof the imperialOttomanarsenalat Istanbul. They must have been booty fromHungarianandAustrianroyalcastles, takenwhen the

Rennhut,fLouis I ofHungary, Turksswept to the very gates of Vienna in 1529, afterattributedtoKolmanHelmschmid,German defeating the Hungarians during the disastrous battle

(Augsburg), a. 1525 of Mohacs in 1526, in which King Louis II was killed.


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Portionsof aflutedarmor, Italian (Milan), ca. 1510

COSTUME ARMORrmorwas a form of costume, as is demonstrated by theparallelsof the medieval gown and the mail shirt, andthe buttoned vest and the buckled pairof plates.During the second half of the fifteenth century a few purelydecorativeflutings were worked into the surfaces of breast- and

backplates in imitation of the fabric folds of fashionable doublets ofthe period. After 1500 this fluting, which caught and reflected thedazzling raysof the sun, was spreadover the entire surfaceof anarmor above)-with the exception of the greaves, which remainedplain to emphasize the elegant slimness of a well-turned male leg.The fluting, in a "corrugated-iron"ffect, also gave extrastrengthto the steel plates, which thus could be made thinner and there-fore lighter.

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Portionsofa costume rmor,attributed o KolmanHelmschmid,German Augsburg), a. 1525

The relationof armor o costume is clearlyevident inthose armors hat imitate the puffed-and-slasheddress ofthe colorful Germanmercenaries, the Landsknechte,hodominated the battlefields of the earlysixteenth century.Reproducingin steel the puffed sleeves of a Landsknechtcostume was a challenge only the most skillful armorerscould hope to meet (above). The body armorwas "tailored"to simulate the slashed doublet and tight hose favoredbythese swaggeringsoldiers. The cuirass with formfitting hipand buttock defenses was called hoguine rmor,a termShakespearewhimsically transformed nto "hog-in-armor."An armor ike the one illustratedhere would have been fartoo expensive for a common halberdier orpikeman; itwould have been the outfitof a fashion-conscious nobleman.The breastplateof this armorand a second pairof armdefenses of more conservativeconstruction are in the Museede l'Armee, Paris.


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HORSE ARMORA knight, dependent on his horse as both a weapon and a means of defense, had totakecare to protect his charger.Of course, this protectioncould be effective onlywithin the scope of contemporarytechnology. Romanheavy cavalryhad armorofbronzescales for their horses; fromthe twelfth century on, knights covered their steeds intrappingsof fabricand laterof mail. By the middle of the fourteenth century, fullsteel-plate armor or horses was complete.

This horse armor below), dated 1548, is boldly embossed on its peytrel, or chest plate,with the initialsof the motto, name, and title of its owner: K[rist] [ch]T[rau] G[anz]v[nd]G[ar] In Christ I trustwholly) H[ans]E[rnst]H[erzog]z[u] SACHSENJohn Ernest, duke ofSaxony). It bearsthe quality test markof Nuremberg and can be safely attributedby itsstyle to the renowned master armorerKunz Lochner (ca. 1510-1567).

Armorforman andhorse,attributedtoKunzLochner,German Nuremberg),bothdated1548

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TOURNAMENTARMS

ournaments were the most popularand spectaculareventsstaged duringthe Middle Ages and the Renaissance andcarriedenormous prestige as social occasions. The familyprideof participantswas immortalizedin illustrated tournamentbooks (see page 4).In the twelfth and thirteenthcenturies, when tournamentswerelargely trainingforactualcombat, battle armorwas wornbutweapons were blunted "forcourtesy." Gradually, n orderto makethis rough sport reasonablysafe, specially designed reinforcementelements came into use. Forthe most popularform of tournament,the joust, a helmet was worn that was bolted to the breast- andbackplates(left). Useless in battle because it restrictedmobility,it effectively prevented whiplash.

Although improvements in body armormade shields obsolete,special types of shields were kept in use for tournaments andcourtlyparades.The tournamenttargewas more or less square in

Tournamentelmet,German outline, with a bouche, cutout at its upper rightcornerdesigned to(probably uremberg),a. 1500 supportthe couched lance. Our targe(below) is unusual in beingpainted with badges (thistles) and challenging warcries, 10HARR(Justwait) and LASVBER AN Let it pass over), in addition to theheraldic arms of the knight (a unicornin gold and black).

Tournamentarge,rom heCastleReiffensteinarmory,German,arlyfifteenthentury

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GREENWICHARMORS ome of the most opulent armorever

made was producedat the royalEnglishworkshopsat Greenwich, establishedby Henry viii (r.1509-47) in 1514,and staffedwith craftsmenfromGermanyand Flandersworkingunder the masterarmorerMartinvanRoyne (still active in 1540),who seems tohave had his training n the court armorshopin Burgundy.This completely etched and gilt armor(right)bearsthe date 1527and is the earliestdated productof this shop. It is partof a set,orgarniture,for man and horsewith exchangepieces that made the basic field armoralso fitforjousting and forsportingfoot-combat, afavoriteentertainmentof Henry vIII.The garniturehas been called the mostbeautiful armor n the worldby one of thegreatEnglish connoisseurs. Its lavishetcheddecorationwas probablydesigned by thepainterHans Holbein the Younger 1497-1543),who hadjust arrived n England. Itwas quite possibly made forthe king himself,but seems to have been given as a diplomaticpresent to a Frenchambassador,FrancoisdeLa Tour-d'Auvergne,viscount of Turenne.Laterit came into the possession of Turenne'sfriendGaliot de Genouilhac, grandmasterofartilleryunder Louis xii and FrancisIofFrance.The armorwas kept for centuries inthe Chateau de Bonnelles, Seine-et-Oise,by the dukes of Uzes, descendants of Galiotde Genouilhac.

Fieldand tournament rmor,made in theroyal workshops t Gredated1527

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Armorof GeorgeClifford,third earl of Cumberland,made n theroyalworkshops t Greenwich,ca. 1580-8522


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Arival to the armoron page 21forthe distinction ofbeing the most beautiful in the world is this garniturefor field and tournament(opposite). It has extrareinforcementpieces for the joust, including fourvamplates,or hand guards, forlances, and a second helmet, as well as a

matchingchanfron and saddle plates. It is also a productofthe royal English armoryat Greenwich.This splendid armorwas made about 1585 forGeorgeClifford,third earlof Cumberland(1558-1605). In homageto Queen Elizabeth I(r. 1558-1603), the decoration includesroyalbadges, Tudorrosesand fleurs-de-lis, and the queen'smonogram nterlacedinto the strapworkof the gilt bands.In 1590Cliffordwas made Champion of the Queen.The earlof Cumberlandwon fame and rewardas one ofthe Elizabethan gentlemen-pirates who preyed on theSpanish treasure fleets. He was the only one ever to captureand hold, forfive months in 1598, the formidableEl Morrofortress n SanJuan, Puerto Rico, which was known as the"Keyto the Caribbean."The original composition of the Cumberland armorandits exchange pieces is documented in the so-called JacobeAlbum right), in the Victoriaand Albert Museum, London,a manuscriptcomprisedof pen and watercolordrawingsof the armorsmade at Greenwich under the direction ofmaster armorer acobHalder.

Pen and watercolordrawings rom theso-calledJacobeAlbumoftheearl ofCumberland's rmorand exchange ieces

:4' S

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PARADE HELMETS

Paradeburgonet,byFilippoNegroli,Italian (Milan), dated1543

Lion-headedsallet,Italian, ca. 1460

he lion-headed sallet (left, below) is one ofthe earliest paradehelmets to surviveintact. It consists of an actual battlehelmet of steel overlaid with a lion's maskofembossed and gilt copper that has silvered fangsand eyes of polished semiprecious stones. Thelion'smask is an allusion to Heracles wearingthe skin of the Nemean lion, a motif from classicalmythology in the spiritof the Italian Renaissance.A supreme example of Italian Renaissance art insteel is this parade burgonet (above), dated 1543and signed on its brow band by Filippo Negroli ofMilan(active 1532-51), one of the greatest artist-armorersof all time. It is a tour de force, with itssweeping outline and highly raisedembossingsshaped out of one sheet of iron, which is patinatedto look like antique bronze. A gracefulmermaidformingthe helmet's crest holds by its hairofwrithingsnakes the baleful head of Medusa, whichturned to stone whoever looked at it. This combina-tion of beauty and terrorgives this masterpiece ofthe armorer'sart an awesomeness that would haveimpressed the wearer'sadmirersand enemies alike.Two kings of France,FrancisI (r. 1515-47) andHenry II (r. 1547-59), established their own courtarmorshop, which specialized in paradearmorwithsumptuously embossed decoration. Its style was anoffshoot of Florentine Mannerism, introduced bythe court artistsFrancescoPrimaticcio(1504-1570)

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and Rosso Fiorentino(1494-1540). The armorillustrated on the coverof this publication is anespecially fine example fromthis workshop. Asidefromthe proliferationof exquisite detail in therelief,an almostoverwhelming mpressionof richnessis achieved by lavish use of gilding, silvering, andbluing for colorful effect. Obviously, armorentirelycovered with embossed relief decorationand withoutany glancing surfaces was totally inappropriate orbattle, but it was a supreme asset in pageants.The gilt paradeburgonet(below), with an elegantGreek scrollpatternon its comb and largereliefmedallions with battle scenes from Greekmythologyon either side of its bowl, seems to be a solitaryelement, not partof any known armor.It is also oneof the very few objects in the field of arms andarmor hat can be documented by a representationin art. The portrait right)of Cosimo IIde'Medici,grandduke of Tuscany(r. 1609-21), is of extraordi-naryimportancefor historians of armorbecause itshows this very burgonet placed beneath the grandduke'shand. When the portraitwas painted, thishelmet was at least seventy yearsold andpresumablya familyheirloom. It is thought to have been a giftfromCatherine de'Medici (1519-1589), queen ofFranceand widow of Henry ii.

Cosimo I de'Medici1590-1621),grandduke fTuscany,workshopfJustusSustermans(Flemish, 597-1681)

Parade urgonet, rench,a. 1550

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PARADE SHIELDSTU nder the influence of the ItalianRenaissance, pageants staged as Romantriumphsbecame popular,and the shields paradedalong by participantswere decoratedwith scenes from ancient historyor Greek mythology.The paradeshield is painted in gold and black to simulate relief embossing in metal. Its

front, meant to be seen at adistance, has large figures painted in bold strokes; by contrast,the battle scenes on its inner face (below)-to be viewed by the shield's wearer at less thanarm'slength-are executed in exquisitely minute detail.

Paradeshield,attributed o Girolamoda Treviso Italian, ca. 1497-1544), ca. 1535The Frenchroyalarmory,under its supervising designer, the courtgoldsmith EtienneDelaune (ca. 1519-1583), produced not only sumptuously decorated paradearmorbut also

sets of shields with medallions illustratingsubjects taken from ancient Roman history-avirtualhistoiremitallique.The shield (opposite) made forHenry II depicts the last stand ofthe Romanconsul Lucius Aemilius Paulus at the Battle of Cannae (216 B.c.). Its companionpiece in the Louvre shows another event in the same battle. The episode on our shield isreportedin Livy's History of Rome (XXII:44-51), but that on the Louvre shield is based on aparalleltraditiontold in the Histories (111:117)by Polybius.The intricatestrapwork ramesurroundingthe medallion is punctuated by the cypherDE, Henri's monogramH linked with a C forhis queen, Catherine de'Medici, and aD for his mistress, Diane de Poitiers(1499-1566). The crescents alternatingwith themonograms(and the bows and arrows n the strapworkof the Louvre shield) aresymbols ofthe Romangoddess Diana and referquite pointedly to Diane de Poitiers.

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ShieldofHenryII ofFrance,probablydesignedbyEtienneDelaune, French,ca. 15552


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PARADE & FIELDARMOR

he decorationof armorcould be aslavishas anyon fine metalwork. Oneof the oldest techniques, known tothe craftsmenof ancient Mycenae, was the

applicationof gold orsilverto adarkbackground-patinated bronzeor, later,blued orblackenedsteel-for a multicoloredeffect. An especiallysplendid example of that technique is thisItalianfield armor left, and detail opposite),with gold and silverwires of different thicknessand size hammered to a surfaceof blued steel.Beginning in the second quarterof the six-teenth century, breast-and backplates hadthree ornamentalbands in imitationof the

seams of elegant doublets of the period. Thisdecorativeprinciplehas been elaboratedonthis armorby filling in the spaces between thebands and expanding the decorationbeyondthe breastplateto cover all surfaces, even thehelmet and the armand leg defenses.Fieldarmor, Italian (Milan), ca. 1600-1610

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Detail oftheItalianfield armorshownopposite

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The entirely gilt armor or a high-rankingofficer of the heavy cavalry(left) is in the stylefashionable in France at the very end of thesixteenth century. (Gilding, incidentally, wasnot only an indication of rank but also aneffective, althoughexpensive, protectionagainstrust.) This armor'setched decoration has tran-scended the traditional three-band patterntocover the entire surface and to give an effectreminiscent of a rich, brocadedfabric.At the time this armorwas in use, firearms,that is, a braceof pistols in saddle holsters,,hadreplaced lances as the main armamentof heavycavalry.For this reasonarmor,or at least breast-plates, had to be bulletproof. As a test thearmorer ired a pistol fromtwenty paces at hisfinished product, leaving the dent made by thebullet as the "proof."This armorbearsa veryshallow dent on its breastplate.The armororiginallypossessed plates forthehorse: a chanfron of the same decoration is inthe Museum's collection; its matching saddleis preserved in the Mus6e de l'Armee, Paris.

his opulent half armor or a five-year-old boy is most likely the last royalarmormade in western Europe(opposite and detail page 32). It is signed inscripton its backplate:Drouar Ordinaire u Royau Heaumea Paris 1712.

Its surface-blued and gilded in the tradi-tional patternof three bands-is enriched byhundredsof decorativerivet heads of gilt bronzeand is colorfullycontrastedby the red velvet ofits original lining that shows as pickadils aroundthe edges of the pauldronsand the tassets.This lining was intended to prevent scratchingof the delicate bluing and also to minimizeclattering.

Armorforheavycavalry, French,ca. 1600


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Parade armorofLuis,prince ofAsturias,FrenchParis), datedl 712

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Detail ofLuis'sparade armor,showing hecuirassand its lining

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The rivet heads areshaped as castles, lions,and fleurs-de-lis, heraldicdevices of theBourbonkings of Spain. This iconography sappropriateat this date foronly one member ofthe dynasty, Luis, princeof Asturias(b. 1707),who was the firstof his line to be born in Spainand was king for less than a yearbefore he diedin 1724. In all probabilitythis armorwas apresent from Luis's great-grandfather,Louisxiv (r.1643-1715), the Sun Kingof France.

Although the armorergave only his familyname, it is clearthat he was a member of theDrouartclan of armorers,recordedin Parisduringthe seventeenth century. His shop ad-dress, "at the Sign of the Helmet," is what onewould expect foran armorworkshop.

THEATRICALARMOR

.By the eighteenth century full armorhadbecome obsolete, although it was stillseen in portraitsof monarchseager topresent a warlikeimage and generals nostal-gicallyclinging to the romantic and heroic daysof chivalry. Only a few regiments of heavycavalrystill wore cuirasses, and among those,armorusuallyhad been reduced to just abreastplatewithout a back. Even helmets hadbeen replacedby the more comfortabletricornehat. However, in court festivities, parades,carousels, and especially in the immenselypopular operasand ballets of the Baroqueperiod, theatricalarmorwas still an importantpartof pomp and pageantry.This dazzling blue-and-gold petitegarniture(right)consistsof a helmet and shieldof silveredbronze, patinated to look like blued steel, withbeautifullychased ormolu mounts. Dating fromabout 1760, it is one of the last manifestationsof classical armor. Paradehelmetandshield, French,ca. 1760

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Ceremonialarrowhead,Bohemian,before1439

Pavise,probablyBohemian Chomutov,Czechoslovakia),ca. 1440

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INFANTRYARMShe knight in armoron horseback is the firstimage that comes to mind whenthinking of warfare n the Middle Ages. However, from the fourteenthcentury on, the infantry-represented by such stalwart ightersas the

English archersof Crecy (1346)and Agincourt(1415);the Flemish spearmen ofCourtrai 1302);the Swiss halberdiersof Sempach (1386), Grandson,and Murten(1476);and the fanaticalBohemian rebels from the Hussite wars (1419-37)-was aforce to be reckonedwith on the battlefield.The Hussites introduced an innovative method of mobile warfareutilizing infantrytransported n covered wagons that could pull up into a defensive ring;in open battleformationthe first ranksof their infantrymenwere protected by large standing shieldscalled pavises. This fighting technique was adopted by city militias in neighboringAustria and Germany,so that the citizen-soldiers on campaigncould feel safe behindthese movable "citywalls."

Swissdaggerwith cenefromhe tory fWilliamTell, a.1570

The pavise illustratedhere (opposite, farleft) was probablymade in the Bohemiancity of Chomutov,Czechoslovakia, and maybe one of a groupof fortythat was sold tothe city of Zwickau in Saxony in 1441. The armsof Zwickau-three swans-wereadded over the originaldecorationof a plume of ostrichfeathers, a badge of the kingsof Bohemia.

The oversize decoratedarrowhead opposite, below) displaying the royalostrichplume and the monogramAE forKingAlbrecht II of Bohemia (r.1437-39) and hisqueen, Elizabeth, was probably partof a giant arrowcarriedas a staff of command bya captainof archersor crossbowmen in the royalentourage. (The ostrichplume was asymbol of steadfastness because no matterhow hard the wind blows, this seeminglydelicate featherstaysunruffled.)

The most sought-aftermercenarysoldiersof the fifteenth and sixteenth centurieswere the Swiss infantrymen,who fought in massed tactical formations with longpikes. They carriedas sidearms the flashySchweizerdolchSwiss dagger)with itstypical I-shaped gripand scabbardwith side pockets forby-knives, bodkins, and/orforks-handy equipment forcampaigningthat has been jokingly called the originalSwiss armyknife.Officerswore, as badges of rank,daggerswith scabbardsof gilt bronze, cast withfiguralscenes in relief. The motifs were taken fromthe Bible, ancient Roman history,or, like the storyof William Tell (above), fromSwiss nationalhistory.Another fittingmotif was the Dance of Death, of which two originalsketches (in Berlin and Basel) byHans Holbein survive.

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Paradehalberds.Left(witharmsofprincearchbishop fSalzburg), German,dated1589. Center forguard ofprinceelectorofSaxony), German Saxony), ca. 1590. Right witharmsofprincesofLiechtenstein),German,dated 1632

T he most efficient armsforinfantry duringthe fifteenth and sixteenth centurieswere pole arms,especially the long pike and the halberd. Although the pike wascalled the "queen of the battlefield," it was of use only in the bristlingmass of thepikemen'ssquare. The halberd, on the other hand, with its cutting ax blade, stabbingpoint, and tearinghook, was a weapon for shock troops. It was versatile enough to beefficient in the hands of a single man, such as a lonely sentinel. For this reasonhalberdsbecame standardequipment forpalace guardunits (above). The halberd'svigorousoutlineinvited exaggerationof its functionalelements into purely ornamentalbizarreries; tsrelatively largesurfacesoffered space for armorialdevices and other fashionable decoration.Otherpole armsthat sharedthe halberd'sversatilitywere the glaive and the partizan.The glaive was of humble peasantorigin-essentially a cleaver mounted on a long shaft.Gradually t grew in dimension and became-in sometimes superbly decorated examples-the favoritepole armforpalace guardsof noble Italianhouses (opposite, top right). Thepartizanstartedout as a broad-bladedspear,but it, too, was graduallytransformed ntomoreand more fanciful shapes accordingto the whims of potentates of the Baroque period.Palaceguardsof this time often wore only a helmet as token armorbut-as was fittingfor the pomp of court life-these helmets usuallywere of high artisticquality.This is thecase with the morionsof the Trabanten,he palaceguardsat the Saxon court at Dresden(opposite, lowerleft), who were resplendent in the black and gold of the court livery.

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ARMS FORTHEPALACEGUARD

GlaiveofthepalaceguardofCardinalScipioneBorghese-Caffarelli, talian,ca. 1600-1610

Morion witharmsofdukesof Saxony,German Nuremberg), a. 1570

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in metalwork.The first(below) is cut steel, withminute figureschiseled in high relief out of thesolid metal. The guardis of a Frenchtype, andthe inscriptionsin tiny letters that accompanythecarved decoration of biblical scenes are in Latinand French. On the off-side of its knuckle guarditbearsthe name of the famous general AmbrogioSpinola (1569-1630). It is thought to have beenpresented to Spinola by King Henry iv of France(r. 1589-1610), probablyin 1605. This is suggestedby the fact that it is very close in design to thesword of Henry Iv, dated 1599, now in the Museede l'Armee, Paris.

RapierofAmbrogioSpinola, French(?),ca. 1605

Rapier,byIsraelSchuech,German Dresden),dated1606

he interest in artand education awakenedin the Renaissanceshowed itself also in ascientificapproachto the art of fencing.The steel gauntlet that used to protect the swords-man'shand was now considered a hindrance to

the sophisticatedwrist action of the elegant fencer.Therefore, by the middle of the sixteenth centurythe rapierhilt with its complicated system of guardswas developed.The swept-hilt rapiers llustrated here are master-pieces of two differenttechniques of embellishment38


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The jeweled rapierhilt of gilt bronze (opposite,top) is signed ISRAEL . esserschmied?]SCHUECH,1606. t is the only signed and dated workby thismaster,who was courtcutler of ChristianII, princeelector of Saxony(r.1601-11).The sword's blade ispierced in intricateopenworkto show the skill ofits maker,JuanMartinez, one of the celebratedswordsmithsof Toledo, Spain, duringthe latesixteenth century.

COURTSWORDS

n elegant court sword was an indispensableaccessoryto an eighteenth-century gentle-man'sfashionable attire. The deceptively

light and slender blades of court swords(orsmall-swords,as they were called in England) were quiteserviceable foran impromptuduel orgetting out ofa scrapewith a footpad. The hilts, on the otherhand, depending on the taste and whim of theirowners, could display extravaganceborderingonthe eccentric. Although the majorityof court swordsin ourcollection-one of the most comprehensiveanywhere- have hilts of durablematerials,such assilver,gold, cut steel, orgilt bronze, there are alsohilts encrusted with brilliants(not alwaysreal)ormade of exotic materials,such as onyx, agate,tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl,and even porcelain.

Special care was lavished on presentationswords,which were awarded to distinguished soldiers incases when medals forbraverywere either not yetcreated or deemed inadequate. These presentationswords are also of considerable historicalvalue,because they were usuallyinscribedwith the namesof the recipient and donor as well as the occasionand date of the presentation.The sword illustrated here (right)has a silver-gilthilt with enameled medallions and was presentedby the Committee of London MerchantstoLieutenant John Burn for his heroic conduct onboard H.M.S. Beaulieuduringthe mutiny at theNore in 1797.It bears the mark of the LondongoldsmithJamesMorisset, the hallmarkof 1798-99,and the name of the retailers,the royalgoldsmithsRundell and Bridge.

Presentation word, English(London),hallmarkedforl 798-99

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H unting in medieval Europe was notonly a sport; it was essential as asourceof additionalfood. The cross-

bow was the preferredweapon forstalkingdeer. It had greaterpenetratingpowerthanthe longbow,and because of its accuracyandsilent dischargeit remained in favoras ahunting weapon long afterthe introductionof firearms.

The crossbowillustratedhere (opposite)bearson its richlycarvedstaghornveneer thedate 1460and the armsof Count Ulrichv ofWiirttemberg,hereditarymasterof the imperialhunt-three stag's antlersin his shield and ahunting horn as his helmet crest. The once-powerfulbow is now sadly damaged; it iscomposed of layersof whalebone and hornwith a coverof waterproofbirchbarkto keepthe layersfromcoming unglued when wet.A largeknife with which to cut up the deeror boarcarcass,to chop wood forthe campfire,or to slasha path throughdense undergrowthwas a vital necessity forevery huntsman. Thegentleman hunter, however,carrieda sword.This weapon was supposed to be used to givethe downed stag the coup de grace, theprivilege of the lordof the hunt. (Hirschfanger,the Germanterm for these hunting swords, iscomposed of Hirsch,meaning "stag," andFang,meaning "killingstroke.")If carriedbya ruggedoutdoorsman,the hunting swordwas of sturdyconstruction,with gripsofstaghornand appropriatehunting decoration,but manynoblemen of the Rocococarriedtheir hunting swordsonly for show.Quiteoften these decorativehunting-swordgripswere of the same fragilematerials-agate,porcelain,or ivory-as used in the hilts ofcourtswords(right).

Huntingwordwithdecorativevoryhilt,German,mid-eighteenthentury

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FIREARMS s long as guns had to be ignited with glowing matches, they were useless tohunters, because the smell of the smoke warned the animals and drove themaway.The firstself-igniting gunlocks were wheellocks that worked on the friction

principlefamiliarto us from the cigarette lighter.The relativeease of carryingsuchready-to-useguns made them practicalfor horsemen. Forrapidshooting, double- andtriple-barreledguns were introduced, such as this pistol (below), one of the earliest inexistence, made about 1540by the Munich gunsmith Peter Peck (1510-1596) forEmperorCharles v. The decorationon the off side of its stock shows a deer hunt onhorseback, indicatingthat this luxurious firearmwas intended as a hunting weapon.

Double-barreledwheellockpistol f EmperorCharlesV,byPeterPeck,GermanyMunich),ca. 1540-45

FlintlockhuntinggunofLouisXIII ofFrance,byPierreLeBourgeois,FrenchLisieux), ca. 162042


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Wheellockifle,thestockdecoratedby ohannMichaelMaucher,German SchwabischGmund),ca. 1680-90

Flintlocksportinggun, with mountsbyLouisJaley, FrenchSaint-Etienne), datedl 735

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Detail, buttplatefromJaleyflintlock,showingHeracles L

uxuryshoulder armsas a rule were sportingweapons, that is, forhunting or targetshooting, and were often decorated with

huntingmotifs.A favoritewas the mythof Actaeon,the hunterwho surprisedDiana bathing, wasturned into a stag by the enraged goddess, andkilled by his own hounds. This storyis carvedonthe lock plate of the sporting gun fromSaint-Etienne (opposite, bottom). It is dated 1735 andsigned by the barrelmaker,Nicolas Carteron;thestock decorator,Joseph Blachon; the lock makerAB[onnard?];and the artistwho executed thechiseled reliefson the mounts, Louis Jaley.Carvedon the gun'shammeris thunderbolt-wieldingJupiter,and on its batterythe unfortunatemortalSemele, who was consumed by heavenly firewhen she askedJupiterforthe full force of hislove. The buttplate displays Heracles (left) as ahunter,carryinghis arrows hat never missed.Because of its smooth release the wheellockstayed in favorforhunting rifles-especially incentralEurope-even after the introduction ofless complicated systems, such as the snaphanceand flintlock. The Germanhunting rifle(above),with its stock carved andinlaid in relief byJohannMichael Maucher(1645-1701) of SchwabischGmiind, is a fine example of this type.Good luck being an essential partof hunting, itmade sense that Fortunashould be found carvedon the ivorypatch box cover of the Maucherrifle(right).The ingeniously hidden catch buttonwould have been the sourceof much amusementamong hunting companions.

Detail, patchboxfromMaucherwheellock,

showingFortuna

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NAPOLEONICFIREARMS

Flintlockrifle, byNicolas-Nol Boutet,French Versailles),ca. 1800, and detailof triggerguardshowingDiana

F renchgunsmithing duringthe seventeenth and eigh-teenth centuries set the style for the rest of Europein the same way that Frenchpolitics and fashion did.For France'sstanding army,the largestin western Europe,state-owned arms factories at Chatellerault, Saint-Etienne,and Versaillesturned out militarymuskets and pistols bythe tens of thousands. As an importantsideline, highlyqualified specialists at Saint-Etienne and Versailles createdluxuryarmsforpresentation purposes.Nicolas-Noel Boutet (1761-1833) was the directeur-artisteof the armsmanufactoryat Versailles. As the court gunsmithto Napoleon, he won special fame for his pistols and rifleswith sumptuous silver mountings in Neoclassical style andbarrelsstudded with tiny gold stars(above).

Diana, the goddess of the hunt, was a most appropriatefigurefor the ornamentationof a hunting gun, and waschosen to decorate the elegant trigger guardrelief (right).

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Pennsylvania "Kentuckyflintlockrifle, byJacobKuntz, American Philadelphia), ca. 1815-25

AMERICANARMSIn arlyAmericaweapons were everyday tools ofsurvival.The Americanfirearmof great renownis the "Kentucky" rifle, developed during the

eighteenth century in Pennsylvania by Swiss andGermanimmigrantgunsmiths familiarwith thetechnique of riflingthe barrel(from the Germanriffeln, "to make small grooves")to give the bullet spinforgreateraccuracy.(The principle of the stabilizingspin, incidentally, was known in the fifteenth centuryand put to use with crossbow bolts that had theirfletchings set at a slant.) The Kentucky rifle, withits long barrelof small caliber,was an adaptationof itsGermanprototype to the unique conditions of theAmericanwilderness, where a man might be on hisown for weeks. The small caliber meant that thehuntercould carrymore bullets without extraweight;the long barrelensured a straightertrajectoryand alsogave a better boost to the slow-burning, inferiorgradeof gunpowder then available in the colonies.Even under these austere conditions gunsmithsmanaged to add artistictouches on stocks and patchboxes. The attractiveRococo scrollornament survivedinto the nineteenth century, notably in German andPennsylvania-Germanfolk art, as on this Kentuckyrifle(above) by Jacob Kuntz (recorded 1814-55). Abranchof folk artin its own rightwas the engravingofpowderhorns(right), mostly done by soldiers duringthe campaigns of the Frenchand Indian Wars,theRevolutionaryWar,and the Warof 1812.

Engravedpowderhorn,American,datedl 759

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n this page is illustratedanother one of thosefortunatecases where a weapon of historicalsignificancecan be shownalongsideadepictionof it in a portraitof the owner.This silver-hiltedpresen-tationsword(below) was awarded to Colonel MarinusWillett (1740-1830) by Congress in 1777.Thoughordered in Paris and not made until 1784-85, theWillettsword is decoratedwith patrioticAmericanem-blems, includingthe coat of armsof the fledglingnation.In his portraitby Ralph Earl(1751-1801)ColonelWillett proudlywears this sword of honor,togetherwith his badge of the Society of the Cincinnati (right).

Marinus Willett 1740-1830), byRalphEarl (1751-1801),ca. 1791

Silver-hiltedswordpresentedo ColonelMarinus Willett,FrenchParis), hallmarkedfor1785-86


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Another classic Americanweaponwas the revolverinvented and manufacturedby Samuel Colt.As abusinessmanwith aprofoundunderstandingof the value of public relationsforpromotinga product,Samuel Colt was generous with presentation guns,specially embellished pieces of otherwise mass-produced models. This revolver(below) is aPoliceModel of 1862with Thuer conversion for metalliccartridges.The engravedand chiseled decoration ofits steel partsis attributedto Louis D. Nimschke(active about 1850-1900). Its gripof silver-platedbrassis workedin bold relief with an Americaneagle amidfloralscrolls. On its escutcheon the gun bears thename of the originalowner, Benito Valdeavellano.

PresentationColt revolverwith caseand accessories,American,PoliceModelof1862

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Turban elmet, Persian,probablysecondhalfofthe ifteenthcentury

Battle ax, Syria,Mamlukperiod,fifteenthcentury

ISLAMICARMSMilitantfrom the very beginning, Islam promised its followersthe delights of paradiseas a reward orspreadingthe teachingsof the Prophet with fire and sword. Muhammad himself foughtin pitched battles, and his sword,Dhu'l-faqar,was once one of the insigniaof the caliphateand is still a symbol of authorityand victory.

Among the more spectacularelements of Islamic armorare the so-calledturbanhelmets, with their boldly fluted bowls and silver damascening ona dark steel ground(above). Most surviving examples date from thefifteenth century and seem to have been made in Persia and Turkey.Although their sweeping outlines, which recall the domes of mosques,seem to be decidedly Islamic, their prototypes can be found in the mucholder Sasanian traditionof Persia.

In almost every culture the bearingof arms was-and is-the privilegeof free men, but the Mamluks, who ruled Egypt and Syriafromabout1250to 1517,were an anomaly:a warrioraristocracyof slaves. High-rankingMamluks took pride in having been sold formoney at least oncein their lives and recorded their careers as servants at the sultan's court bythe badges they bore, similar to the coats of armsused by Westernknights. The roundel with cup and folded napkin on this Mamluk battleax (left) indicates that its owner was once a juniorcupbearerand assistantto the masterof the robes.50


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One of the most eye-catching of the Museum's Islamicobjectsis this saber(below). It is a most intriguing composite of elementsfromthe three importantcenters of the world of Islam. Its blade ofwateredsteel was forgedin seventeenth-century Persia;its gripof milky jade, inlaidwith delicate spraysof jeweled flowers, wasfashioned in eighteenth-century Mughal India; and, accordingtotradition,its guardand scabbardmountings, of gold set withemeralds and diamonds, were made in Istanbul in 1876, for theenthronement of Sultan Muradv.The splendorof the Mughal empire of India (1526-1857) wassuch that even todaywe use the term "mogul" to indicateenormous wealth and power.Fine weapons were coveted tokensbestowed by the rulerupon courtiers and loyalwarriors.Carefullycut colored stones set into the gold of the hilt andscabbard

mountingsof this Mughaldagger (right)create a rich mosaic offloral motifs like those in an Orientalcarpet.

Mughaldagger, rom theperiodofJahangir, ca. 1620

Saber,with Persianblade,Mughalgrip,and Turkishguardand scabbard,ca. 1876

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Saber,Turkish,mid-sixteenthentury

ecause of the religious prohibitionagainstgraven images and the sacredpower givento the word, Islamiccalligraphywas an artform that farsurpassedthe importanceof writing towestern Europeans. One of the prime instances ofthe attention paid to calligraphy s this Turkishsaber(above), its blade thickly plated with goldinto which the dialogue between Solomon and

Sheba, told in Koranicquotations, is carved inexquisite lettering.Islamic firearmsshow that they were derivedfromseventeenth-century European prototypes inthe construction of their locks and in the shape oftheir stocks. The straightbutt of the Turkishgunstock (opposite, top) is a variationon the stocksof Germanrifles,which in turnowe their shape tothe straightcrossbowbutt; the gently curved butttypes (opposite, bottom) are derived from Frenchcarbine stocks. North Africanstocks, on the otherhand, had Spanish muskets as models for theirflaringbutts (opposite, center). Locks were mostlySpanish miquelets, but the snaphanceguns ofMoroccantribalwarriors,Berbersand Kabyles,were of a type introducedby Dutch traderson theirway to the Indies.

Opposite:Islamicfirearms.Top,Turkish,Ottoman eriod, dated1806Center,Moroccan,Ottoman eriod, ca. 1750-1800Bottom, Balkan, Ottoman eriod, eighteenthentury

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Swords ortheEuropeanmarketwith.Left,smallsword, ca. 1720-30.

54

EAST & WEST

shakudohiltsmanufacturednJapan.Right,hunting word, ca. 1700

rue warriorshave traditionallyrespected each other, and throughtheages they have often adopted equipment and fighting styles fromtheirfoes, not only out of necessity dictated by terrainor technical imbalancebut also as the ultimate compliment. The most spectacular example of thecombination of Western and Islamic craft is this dazzlinglycolorful helmet

(opposite, bottom). It is traditionally inked to Muhammadxi (abdicated 1492),known as Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada. It is the only known survivingpiece of armor romMoorishSpain. The helmet itself is aSpanish sallet,probablyfromthe armor-making enter of Calatayud, nearSaragossa,butMoorishcraftsmengave it regal splendor with a coat of burnished gold leaf andinsets of more than a hundred plaques of delicate cloisonne enamel.After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 the Christiannations of southeasternEurope-Croatians, Hungarians,and Serbians-were locked in a century-longstrugglewith the steadily advancingTurks. The Hungarian cavalry,the hussars,carrieda special type of shield with an upswept tip. In the earlysixteenthcentury the Turksseem to have capturedwhole arsenals full of these shields andused them-after replacingtheiroriginalemblems with Islamic symbols suchas the double-pointed swordof the Prophet-for their own shock troops, the


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delibashright).When the shields were eventuallyrecapturedby Hungarians n the course of the ongoingborderwarfare,fighting styles in the West had changed,and thus they became trophies.In the Age of Discovery Europeans developed ataste forthe exotic. The fashion forchinoiserie madeanythingfrom the Far East highly desirable (although,formany,the differences between China, Japan, andotherAsiancountrieswere obscure). This new interestwas lucrative fortrading companies and merchantswho supplied the Europeanmarket with as wide avarietyof Orientalgoods as possible. Among thefashionable items were court-swordandhunting-swordhilts made in Japanforexport. They were of shakudo,an alloyof gold and copper, acid-treatedto turna deepblue-black, used exclusively byJapanesemetalworkers(opposite). Hilts of this unusual materialandof unmis-takably Japanese workmanshiparemounted withblades bearingthe names of Dutch swordcutlers.Dutch sources, however, arestrangelysilent aboutthis kind of importware. Apparentlythese hilts were ablack-marketproductsecretly tradedby enterprisingemployees of the Dutch East IndiaCompanyat itspost at Deshima, Japan, in circumventionof the strictJapanese lawsagainst exporting weapons ortheirparts. Above,Hungarianshieldpaintedwith thedouble-bladed"SwordoftheProphet,"mid-sixteenthentury.Below,

Hispano-Moresque elmet, atefifteenth entury

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JAPANESEARMORhe earliest surviving pieces of arms and armorexcavated in Japanbelong to types that seem to have originated in central Asia. Ourcollection is most fortunate to include a significant groupof earlyswordsand an importanthelmet of lamellar construction(below) similarto specimens from the MigrationPeriod in eastern Europe.The most importantearlyJapanese armor n a museum outside of

Japanis this armor romthe late Kamakuraperiod (opposite), traditionallybelieved to have belonged to Ashikaga Takauji(1305-1358), the founderof the Ashikaga shogunate. The cuirass and skirts areentirely of lamellarconstruction, with the finger-longlames lacquered and laced together inhorizontaloverlappingrows. These rows are in turn held together bya dense system of verticallacings; the breastof the cuirass is covered by apanel of doeskin stenciled with the image of the powerful Buddhist deityFud6 My6-6. Most of the originalwhite lacings-made of bleachedsilk-are now gone, but at the edges of the skirtsdiagonallyarrangedmulticoloredlacingsare still in place. The colors symbolize the rainbow,which representedboth good fortune and fleeting beauty.

Helmet,Kofunperiod,fifth century

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Armor, ate Kamakura eriod, early ourteenth entury5


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0OS - 'po. aJvzuoinjV '(sasufSp iaplnoVs)apos zq#asvJin9


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notherearly-and thereforeexcep-tionallyrare-armor in ourcollec-tion is illustratedopposite. It is ofdomaru ype, with its close-fitting cuirass

closing at the rightside, multiple pendantskirtplates ideal foreasy movement onfoot, and largesode(shoulderguards).Dating to the mid-sixteenth century, thisarmor s believed to have been presentedas a gift by Date Masamune(died 1636),one of the most famous daimyoof his time,to General ShiraishiBungo.The Japanese samuraiand his code ofBushido-the wayof the warrior-hadmuchincommonwith the Europeanknightand his code of chivalry.Although at firstglance WesternandJapanese armorsseemtotallydifferent, there are severalimportantparallels,such as the use of mon-heraldicfamily badges-and helmet crests to iden-tify warriorswhose faces were hiddenbehind protectivedevices-helmet visorsin the West and mempowar masks) inJapan(inside backcover).Due to the highly flexible constructionof Japanesearmor-rows of lamellar scaleslaced together with silk straps-relacingswere necessaryat regular ntervals. Onthose occasionschanges could be madeto update an heirloomarmor,such as thegusoku right)fromthe armoryof DateYoshimura 1703-1746), daimyoof Sendai,thatincorporatesa prizedsixteenth-centuryhelmet bowl into an eighteenth-centuryensemble.

Armor,rom thearmoryofDate Yoshimura1703-1746),Edoperiod, eighteenth entury

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Helmet,Momoyamaperiod,sixteenth entury

H elmet crests and the helmets themselves came in an astoundingvarietyof shapes. Often a pairof antennaelike kuwagata ramedthe crest proper (opposite). The crest could be an emblemdictated by family traditionor one chosen accordingto the wearer'sfancy.Some helmet bowls assumed exotic shapes, from seashells to flowers. The

helmet above whimsically imitates a type of hat worn by venerable oldmen, with Fud6 Myo-6 descending in flames as a crest.Helmet bowlsconstructedon the Spangenhelmrinciple(see pages 9-10),like the one at the right, have at their apex a ring-shapedreinforcementplate, with an eyelet for the practicalpurpose of ventilation, to pass thewearer'sfashionable shortqueue through, and finally, metaphysically, toserve as a gatewayforthe fighting spirit to enter the warrior'sbody.

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Helmet,Muromachi eriod, fifteenth entury.Above,detailofcrest.Below,front and backviews

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SWORDFURNITURE

he blade of the samurai'sswordwas regardedwith almost religiousawe. The laboriousprocess of forgingsuch a blade involvedcrucialsteps thatwere jealously guardedsecrets ofthe mastersmiths. Interestingly,a legend verysimilarto thatof Wayland n Germaniclore is told of thethirteenth-centuryJapanese mastersMuramasaandMasamune. Testing their prize blades against mapleleavesdriftingin a swiftlyflowingstream,Muramasa'sblade cut a leaf in half, but the leaf coming againstMasamune'sblade jerked sideways, afraidof thesuper-sharpedge.It was the privilege of the samuraito weara pairofswords:the three-foot-longkatanaand the two-footwakizashi left). As a set they were called daisho(opposite, top); carewas taken to match them inappearance.The constructionof the Japanese swordwas unique. Quite in contrastto swordselsewhere,the whole swordwas made of easily assembled partsheld together by a single plug that passed simul-taneously throughthe handle and the tangof theblade. This way the components of the hilt-tsuba(guard;opposite, bottom),fuchi-kashirapommel capand gripferrule),and menuki (gripornaments;opposite, center)-could be quickly takenoff andex-changed foranotherset. Ideally the elements wouldhave decorationappropriate orspecific occasions.Swordfurniturewas the truejewelry of aJapanesegentleman. In fact, shakudI(see page 55) wasinventedbymakersof swordfurniture ocircumventsumptuarylaws prohibitingthe too ostentatious use of gold.The motifs forthe decorationof swordfurniture,like those of the miniatureartformnetsuke,couldbe taken froman infinite varietyof subjects, frommilitaryscenes and emblems to the profoundsymbols of Zen philosophy and the celebrationof the beauty of nature.

Wakizashishortword),byNaotane1778-185 ), Edoperiod,dated1839, anddetail of reverse, howingFudoMyj-j2


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Mountingsfora daisho(matchedpairofswords), ittings byIwamoto Kunkan 1744-1801), Edoperiod, lateeighteenth entury

Set of matching wordfittingsdecoratedwith crabs: Kozuka utility knifehande), kogai(hair-dressing ool), andmenuki grip ornaments),attributed oGotoSojo (ca. 1461-1538), Muromachiperiod, sixteenth entury

Tsuba swordguard), withdesignofbambooamid rocks,byIshiguroMasayoshi ca. 1772-1869), Edoperiod, nineteenthentury

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NOTESFrontcovr, insidefrontcover.ARMOR OF HENRY II OFFRANCE. Height, 741/ in. (189.2 cm), weight 53 lb. 4 oz.(24.2 kg). Steel, silver, gold. HarrisBrisbane Dick Fund, 1939(39.121)Frontispiece. AGEFROM AN ILLUSTRATEDMANUSCRIPT TOURNAMENT BOOK. Pen and wash onpaper. The WatsonLibrary,MMAPp.6-8: SERIES OF WOODCUTS. FromStaindendHandwerer,byJost Amman, Frankfurt m Main, 1568(facsimile edition,1884, Munich). The WatsonLibrary,MMAP 9: SPANGENHELM. Height, 712in. (19.1cm). Iron, bronze.Gift of Stephen V.Grancsay,1942(42.50.1)P-10(top):SHIELD BOSS (Late Roman): Height, 61/4 n.(16 cm). Iron, gold, silver,glass. Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan,1917(17.192.141)P 10 (bottom):LANGOBARDIC SHIELD BOSS (with giltbronzegriffins'heads). Height, 31/2 n. (9 cm). Iron, gilt bronze.Purchase, Bequest of Stephen V Grancsay,by exchange, andRogers Fund, 1984(1984.184.2)P 11:LANGOBARDIC SHIELD BOSS (with cruciformapplique). Height, 31/ in. (9 cm). Iron, gilt bronze. Purchase,Bequest of Stephen V Grancsay,by exchange, and RogersFund, 1984(1984.184.1)P 11:VIKING SWORD. Length, 373/4 n. (9 cm). Steel,copper, silver. Rogers Fund, 1955(55.46.1)P.12: ORNAMENTAL PLAQUE OF A KNIGHT. Length,7 in. (17.8cm). Gilt bronze. Bashford Dean MemorialCollection, Funds from variousdonors, 1929(29.158.735)P 12: ROWEL SPUR. Length, 71/4 n. (18.4cm). Gilt copper,enamel. Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 14.25.1737)P 13: CURB BIT Length, 123/4n. (31.5cm). Iron, gilt bronze,champlev6 enamel. Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.478)P 14:SWORD. Length, 401/4 n. (102.3 cm). Steel, silver,copper, leather.The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini,presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932(32.75.225)P 15: ARMOR. Height, 6612 in. (168.9 cm); weight, 41lb. 3 oz.(18.7 kg). Steel, brass, textile. BashfordDean MemorialCollection, Gift of Helen Fahnestock Hubbard, in memory ofherfather,HarrisC. Fahnestock, 1929(29.154.3)P 16 (top):SALLET Height, 12in. (30.5 cm); weight, 5 lb.(2.3 kg). Steel, gilt copper. BashfordDean MemorialCollection,Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1929(29.156.45)

16 (center):WARHAT (chapel-de-fer):Height, 101/4n.(26 cm); weight, 6 lb. 7 oz. (2.9 kg). Steel. Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.228)P 16 (bottom):RENNHUT Height, 12in. (30.5 cm); weight,9 lb. (4.1 kg). Steel, gold. Bashford Dean MemorialCollection,Gift of Mr. andMrs. Alexander McMillanWelch, 1929(29.153.1)P 17:PORTIONS OF A FLUTED ARMOR. Steel, gold. Giftof William H. Riggs, 1913 14.25.716)P18: PORTIONS OF A COSTUME ARMOR. Steel, gold.Sleeves: Gift of BashfordDean, 1924(24.179). Backplate withhoguine: Mrs. Stephen V Harkness Fund, 1926(26.188.1,2)P 19: ARMOR FOR MAN AND HORSE. Horse armor:Steel,leather.Rogers Fund, 1932(32.69a-h). Man'sarmor:Steel,leather.BashfordDean MemorialCollection, Gift of Mrs.BashfordDean, 1929(29.151.2)P 20: TOURNAMENT HELM. Height, 173/4n. (45 cm);weight, 18 lb. 7 oz. (8.5 kg). Steel, brass. Bashford DeanMemorialCollection, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1929(29.156.67)P 20: TOURNAMENT TARGE. 2634 x 211/4 n. (68 x 54cm).Wood, leather, gesso, silver foil, polychromy.Gift of ClarenceH. Mackay, 1930(30.101)P 21: FIELD AND TOURNAMENT ARMOR. Height, 73 in.(185.5 cm); weight, 80 lb. 4oz. (36.7 kg). Steel, gold. Purchase,William H. Riggs Gift and Rogers Fund, 1919 19.131.1,2)P.22: ARMOR OF GEORGE CLIFFORD. Height, 691/ in.(176.5 cm); weight, 60 lb. (27.2 kg). Steel, gold. Munsey Fund,1932(32.130.6)P 23: PEN AND WATERCOLOR DRAWINGS. IllustrationsfromtheJacobeAlbum,The VictoriaandAlbert Museum, LondonP 24 (top):PARADE BURGONET Height, 912in. (24.1 cm);weight, 4 lb. 2 oz. (1.9 kg). Steel, gold. Gift ofJ. PierpontMorgan, 1917 17.190.1720)P.24 (bottom):LION-HEADED SALLET Height, 113/4 n.(30 cm); weight, 8 lb. 4 oz. (3.7 kg). Steel, gilt copper, silver,semiprecious stones. HarrisBrisbane Dick Fund, 1923(23.141)P.25: PARADE BURGONET. Height, 14in. (35.5 cm); weight,5 lb. 6 oz. (2.4 kg). Steel, gold. Burgonet:RogersFund, 1904(04.3.217). Buffe:Joseph Pulitzer Fund, 1922(22.140)

P 25: COSIMO II DE'MEDICI (1590-1621), GRAND DUKEOF TUSCANY. Workshopof Justus Sustermans, 78 x 48 in.(198.1x 121.9cm). Oil on canvas. Gift of BashfordDean, 1922(22.150)P 26: PARADE SHIELD. Diameter, 245/ in. (62.5 cm). Wood,leather,gesso, gold, paint. Gift of Stephen V Grancsay,1942(42.50.16)P 27: SHIELD OF HENRY II OF FRANCE. Height, 25 in.(63.5 cm); width, 18 n. (45.7 cm). Steel, gold, silver. HarrisBrisbane Dick Fund, 1934(34.85)Pp. 28-29: FIELD ARMOR. Height, 621/ in. (158.8 cm);weight, 46 lb. 12oz. (21.2 kg). Steel, gold, silver. FletcherFund, 1938(38.148. la-n)P 30: ARMOR FOR HEAVYCAVALRY.Height as mounted(including modern boots), 711/ in. (181.6cm); weight, 77 lb.11oz. (35 kg). Steel, gold, leather, textile. Rogers Fund, 1927(27.177.1)Pp. 31-32: PARADE ARMOR OF LUIS. Height, 28 in.(71.1 cm). Steel, gold, gilt brass, silk, metallic thread. Purchase,Armand Hammer Gift, 1989(1989.3)P 33: PARADE HELMET AND SHIELD. Helmet:height, 171/8n. (43.5 cm); weight, 13 lb. 6 oz. (6 kg).Shield: height, 231/ in. (58.8 cm); weight, 13 lb. 11oz. (5.9 kg).Bronze, gold, silver.Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.259,260)P 34: PAVISE.Height, 421/ in. (108cm). Wood, leather,gesso,silver foil, polychromy.Bashford Dean MemorialCollection,Funds from variousdonors, 1929(29.158.595)P 34: CEREMONIAL ARROWHEAD. Length, 121 in.(30.6 cm). Steel, brass. Rogers Fund, 1966(66.199)P 35: SWISS DAGGER. Length (in scabbard),153/4n. (40 cm).Steel, gilt bronze, wood. Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.130-132)P.36: PARADE HALBERDS. Left: Length of blade, 231/4 n.(59.1 cm). Steel, wood, textile. Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913(14.25.300). Center: Length of blade, 263/4 n. (68.1 cm). Steel,gold, wood. Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.80). Right: Lengthof blade, 24/4 in. (61.5cm). Steel, gold, wood, textile. Gift ofMaryAlice Dyckman Dean, in memory of Alexander McMillanWelch, 1949(49.120.13)P 3 7(bottom):MORION. Height (excludingchin straps)102 in.(26.7 cm); weight, 4 lb. 1oz. (1.8 kg). Steel, gold, paint, giltbronze, leather.Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.224)P 37(top): GLAIVE. Length of blade, 281/ in. (71.4 cm). Steel,copper, gold, silver, wood, velvet. Bequest of Alan RutherfurdStuyvesant, 1954(54.46.16)P.38 (top):RAPIER, BYISRAEL SCHUECH. Length, 48 in.(122cm). Gilt bronze, enamel, jewels, shell cameo, steel.Fletcher Fund, 1970(1970.77)P.38 (bottom):RAPIER OF AMBROGIO SPINOLA.Length, 463/ in. (117.8 m). Steel. RogersFund, 1932(32.130.4)P 39: PRESENTATION SWORD. Length, 41'1/ n.(105.4 cm). Silver gilt, enamel, pastejewels, steel. Gift of JeanJacquesReubell, in memoryof his mother,JuliaC. Coster,and of his wife, Adeline E. Post, both of New YorkCity,1926(26.145.315)P 40: CROSSBOW. Length, 281/4 n. (21cm). Wood, iron, ivory,hor, whalebone, birchbark.Rogers Fund, 1904(04.3.36)P 41: HUNTING SWORD. Length, 291/ in. (74.9 cm). Ivory,silver gilt, steel, leather.Gift of JeanJacques Reubell, inmemory of his mother,JuliaC. Coster, andof his wife, AdelineE. Post, bothof New YorkCity, 1926(26.145.243)P 42 (top): DOUBLE-BARRELED WHEELLOCK PISTOL.Length, 193/ in. (49.2 cm). Steel, gold, wood, bone. Gift ofWilliam H. Riggs, 1913 14.25.1425)P 42 (bottom):FLINTLOCK HUNTING GUN. Length, 55 in.(140 cm). Steel, pearwood, gold, silver, brass, mother-of-pearl,bone. Rogersand HarrisBrisbane Dick Funds, 1972(1972.223)P. 43: PAIR OF IVORY-STOCKEDFLINTLOCK PISTOLS.Length, 14?/ in. (36.2 cm). Steel, ivory, gold, brass. Gift ofJohn M. Schiff, 1986(1986.265.1,2)Pp. 44-45: WHEELLOCK RIFLE. Length, 415/ in. (105.7cm). Steel, wood, ivory, mother-of-pearl, brass. Gift of StephenV Grancsay,1942(42.50.8)P 44: FLINTLOCK SPORTING GUN. Length, 571/2 n.(147 cm). Steel, walnut, gold, silver. HarrisBrisbane Dick andRogersFunds, 1987(1987.274)P 46: FLINTLOCK RIFLE. Length, 4312 in. (110.5cm).Steel, walnut, silver, gold. Fletcher Fund, 1970(1970.179.1)P 47(top): PENNSYLVANIA/"KENTUCKY" FLINTLOCKRIFLE. Length, 591/4 n. (150.5 cm). Steel, maple wood, brass,silver, bone, horn. Rogers Fund, 1942(42.22)P 47 (bottom):ENGRAVED POWDERHORN. Height, 11/4 in.

(28.5 cm). Cow hom. The Collection of J.H. Grenville Gilbert,of Ware,Massachusetts, Gift of Mrs. Grenville, 1937(37.131.4)P 48: MARINUS WILLETT (1740-1830). By Ralph Earl, 911/4x 56 in. (231.8 x 142.2cm). Oil on canvas. Bequest of GeorgeWillettVanNest, 1916 17.87.1)P 48: SILVER-HILTED SWORD. Length, 395A n. (100.7 cm).Steel, silver, gold. Bequest of George Willett VanNest, 1916(17.87.3)P 49: PRESENTATION COLT REVOLVER. Pistol: Length,113/in. (29 cm). Steel, gold, silver. Case: 85/ x 151/ x 15/ in.(22 x 38.3 x 4.1 cm). Rosewood, silver, velvet. Gift of Mr. andMrs. JerryD. Berger,1985(1985.264)P.50: TURBAN HELMET. Height, 133A n. (34 cm). Steel,silver. Purchase,Anonymous Gift, 1950(50.87)P. 50: BATTLE AX. Height, 101/4in. (26 cm). Steel, gold(wooden shaft modem). BashfordDean Fund, 1969(69.156)P.51: SABER. Length, 393/4 n. (101cm). Steel, gold, gilt brass,jade, diamonds, emeralds, pearls.Gift ofGiulia P. Morosini, inmemoryof herfather,Giovanni P.Morosini, 1923(23.232.2a,b)P 51: MUGHAL DAGGER. Length, 14 n. (35.6 cm). Steel,gold, emeralds, rubies, spinels, glass, wood, silk. Purchase,HarrisBrisbane Dick Fund and The Vincent AstorFoundationGift, 1984(1984.332)Pp. 52-53: SABER. Length, 377A n. (96.1 cm). Steel, gold,wood, leather. Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935(36.25.1297)P 52: ISLAMIC FIREARMS. Top: Length, 48 in. (122cm).Steel, wood, silver,gold. The Col lection of GiovanniP.Morosini,presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932(32.75.271). Center:Length, 763/ in. (194 cm). Steel, wood, silver, coral. TheCollection of Giovanni P.Morosini, presented by his daughterGiulia, 1932(32.75.274). Bottom: Length, 623/4 n. (159.5 cm).Steel, wood, brass, silver, mother-of-pearl, coral. Bequest ofGeorge C. Stone, 1935(36.24.2148)P 54: SWORDS WITH SHAKUDO HILTS. Left: Length (outof scabbard),38 in. (96.5 cm). Shakudogold/copper alloy),gold, steel, leather. Gift of JeanJacquesReubell, in memoryof his mother, JuliaC. Coster, andof his wife, Adeline E. Post,both of New YorkCity, 1926(26.145.327). Right: Length, 281/in. (72.3 cm). Shakudogold/copper alloy), gold, steel, woodcovered with rayskin. Gift of Jean Jacques Reubell, in memoryof his mother, JuliaC. Coster, andof his wife, Adeline E. Post,both of New YorkCity, 1926(26.145.260)P 55 (top):HUNGARIAN SHIELD. 321? x 215/ in. (82.5 x 55cm). Wood, leather, gesso, paint; iron rivets. Rogers Fund, 1949(49.57.1)P 55 (bottom):HISPANO-MORESQUE HELMET. Height,77A n. (20 cm). Steel, gold, silver, cloisonn6 enamel. Purchase,The Vincent Astor Foundation Gift, 1983(1983.413)P 56: HELMET, KOFUN PERIOD. Height, 81/ in. (21.6cm).Iron,gilt copper. Fletcher Fund, 1927(28.60.2)P 57: ARMOR, LATE KAMAKURAPERIOD. Height (asmounted), 371/

arms and armor permanent collection the metropolitan museum of art bulletin v 49 no 1 summer 1991

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