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Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Met's Arms and Armor collection is one of the most comprehensive and encyclopedic of its kind, comprising over 14,000 objects, focusing on works that show outstanding design and decoration, rather than those of purely military or technical interest.

05/25/2026

Check out Emeritus Curator Donald La Rocca's Timeline of Art article, "Bashford Dean and the Development of Helmets and Body Armor during World War I."

Soon after the United States entered the war, on April 6, 1917, the government turned to Dr. Bashford Dean (1867–1928), Curator of Arms and Armor at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to address this situation. Dean was commissioned as a Major of Ordnance in charge of the Armor Unit and also was made Chairman of the Committee on Helmets and Body Armor of the National Research Council. Working from the basis of his knowledge of historical armor, Dean made a thorough study of armor used to defend against fi****ms from the Renaissance to his own time and applied that information to contemporary battlefield conditions of the Great War. Then, in conjunction with the Museum’s armorer Daniel Tachaux (1857–1928) and other members of his staff, he produced a series of prototype helmets and various forms of body armor to protect U.S. troops.

Daniel Tachaux (French, 1857–1928, active in France and America). Prototype for Helmet Model No. 2. American, New York, 1917. Steel, pressed paper or cardboard, H. 8 in. (20.3 cm); W. 10 in. (25.4 cm); D. 13 3/8 in. (34 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 4 oz. (1020 g). Purchase, Gift of Bashford Dean, by exchange, 2013 (2013.581a, b).

https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/bashford-dean-and-the-development-of-helmets-and-body-armor-during-world-war-i

05/13/2026

This large circular copper alloy plaque, cast with scrolls in faux-filigree and enameled, would have probably adorned a horse harness. A central rivet fixed it to the leather or textile while the two small holes, pierced on the border, would be used for sewing it to its support so it could stay flat despite its weight.

Harness Ornament. Italian, late 16th–early 17th century. Copper alloy, gold, enamel, Diam. 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm); Wt. 4.3 oz. (121.9 g). Rogers Fund, 1920 (20.151.11).

05/10/2026

Open to the public today––Costume Art!

The Costume Institute’s spring 2026 exhibition explores depictions of the dressed body across The Met’s vast collection, pairing garments with artworks to reveal the inherent relationship between clothing and the body.

Plan your visit and don't miss loans from the Arms and Armor collection, including a stunning Etruscan cuirass, and a Japanese 仏胴 “Buddha” cuirass (hotoke-dō)! Displayed within the classical body section of the exhibition, these objects help demonstrate the interplay between evolving conceptions of balance, harmony, symmetry, and proportion. Artists, designers, and armorers explored how such ideals could be represented, and what those representations might mean to owners and wearers of these objects.

Congratulations to everyone who worked hard to make this amazing exhibition a reality!

Anatomical Cuirass. Etruscan, probably Vulci, late 5th–4th century BCE. Bronze, H. 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm); W. 14 7/8 in. (37.8 cm); D. 11 in. (27.9 cm); Wt. 6 lb. 13.7 oz. (3109.9 g). Purchase, Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Lauder, Friends of Arms and Armor and Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation Gifts, 2017 (2017.228a–d).

Miyake Design Studio. "Silicone Body," and "Plastic Body," loans courtesy Miyake Design Studio.

House of Givenchy. Dress, loan courtesy Givenchy.

Yves Saint Laurent. Chest cast and waist cast, loan courtesy Jordan Roth Collection.

Alexander McQueen. Vest, loan courtesy Alexander McQueen.

Schiaparelli. Dress, loan courtesy Patrimoine Schiaparelli, Paris.

仏胴 “Buddha” Cuirass (Hotoke-Dō). Japanese, 16th or early 17th century. Iron, silk, H. 16 3/4 in. (42.6 cm). Rogers Fund, 1904 (04.4.34).

04/28/2026

Pierced iron arm defenses such as this appear to be a previously unrecognized type. However, its scalloped borders relate closely to the borders on Tibetan or Mongolian arm defenses made of polychromed leather with iron fittings (see acc. no. 2001.36). In addition, its broadly pierced scrollwork is extremely similar to that found on some Tibetan or Mongolian horse armor. The presence of these two features indicates a close relationship between this little known form of arm defense and the broader spectrum of Tibetan and Mongolian armor of the 16th to 17th centuries.

Arm Defense. Tibetan or Mongolian, 16th–17th century. Iron, L. 8 1/8 in. (20.6 cm); W. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm). Purchase, Kenneth and Vivian Lam Gift, 2007 (2007.184).

04/23/2026

We are pleased to share that our newest publication "Fit For A King: Tudor and Stuart Armors Made in the Royal Workshop at Greenwich" by Ian Eaves and Stuart Pyhrr is now available for purchase ! The book is stocked on the shelves in the shop locations at The Met, and will soon be available online as well.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s all-gilt battle and tournament armor of King Henry VIII of England, with its exquisite overall etched decoration, is among the most spectacular ever produced. Made in the royal armor workshop at Greenwich, which was founded by Henry VIII in 1515, this armor forms the centerpiece of the museum’s renowned collection of Greenwich armors, the most important outside Britain.

Focusing on The Met’s six complete armors and two single elements of armor made for the king and distinguished nobles in the Tudor and Stuart courts, this book is an authoritative study of the armor produced at Greenwich and features many of the workshop’s finest extant examples.

Congrats to authors Ian Eaves and Stuart Pyhrr, and very special thanks to the many individuals and institutions that contributed to and made this book possible, especially and !

04/15/2026

Rapiers were developed in the late fifteenth century and became steadily more popular throughout the sixteenth century. This example is rare and important for its finely engraved decoration inspired by Middle Eastern ornament.

Rapier. Italian, ca. 1490. Steel, silver, L. 41 3/16 in. (104.5 cm); L. of blade 34 3/4 in. (88.3 cm); W. 10 in. (25.4 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 5 oz. (1049 g). Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.1169).

04/07/2026

Carved in the round from a single piece of wood, this doctor’s sword (chatō) features an energetic assemblage of coiled dragons and animals. So-called doctor’s swords were carried by samurai in tea houses as stand-ins for metal swords, which were not allowed inside. Doctors, too, wore them for show in public. Ornate examples such as this one were greatly prized by collectors in Europe and America.

Inscribed Yosh*teru (Japanese, active 19th century). Doctor's Sword (Chatō), 19th century. Wood, mother-of-pearl, silk, L. 18 in. (45.7 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm); Wt. 7.2 oz. (204.1 g). Gift of Etsuko O. Morris and John H. Morris Jr., 2018 (2018.833.22a, b).

04/02/2026

The decoration of the front panel of this powder flask combines motifs from French and Flemish ornament prints. The figure in the central oval represents Mars or another personification of war.

Powder Flask. French or Flemish, ca. 1560–80. Bronze, gold, wood, steel, H. 11 1/8 in. (28.4 cm); W. 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm). Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.1507).

03/30/2026

Introducing a new conservator in the Department of Arms and Armor at The Met!

Emry Eisaman (He/They) joined the Department in 2025 as an Assistant Conservator. His primary duty is to assist in the care and preservation of the collections, including armor, fi****ms, and edged weapons, as well as fabrication of custom mounts for display. Emry received their BA in Museum Studies from the University of Saint Francis, Indiana, and their MA in Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects from Durham University, England. Before joining the department, he worked as an intern at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in England, and as sole Conservator at the Wabash County Museum in Indiana. In future posts we look forward to sharing more about Emry's activities and conservation treatments!

03/26/2026

In Indian archery, the thumb hooks around the bowstring to draw the bow. Archer’s rings were worn to protect the inside of the thumb. They could have also been worn as a costume accessory, sometimes elaborately decorated with fine inlays to convey rank and social status.

Archer's Ring. Indian, 18th–19th century. Jade, L. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); W. 1 5/16 in. (3.3 cm); Wt. 0.6 oz. (17 g). Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.2783).

Archer's Ring. Indian, 19th century. Jade, gold, rubies, emeralds, L. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); W. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); Wt. 1 oz. (28.3 g). Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.2796).

Archer's Ring. Indian, 17th–18th century. Jade, L. 1 7/16 in. (3.7 cm); W. 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Wt. 0.3 oz. (8.5 g). Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.2791).

Archer's Ring. Indian, 18th–19th century. Agate, L. 2 in. (5.1 cm); W. 1 1/8 in. (2.6 cm); Wt. 0.8 oz. (22.7 g). Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.2795).

Archer's Ring. Indian, 18th century. Agate, L. 1 7/16 in. (3.7 cm); W. 1 3/16 in. (3 cm); Wt. 0.4 oz. (11.3 g). Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935 (36.25.2785).

03/20/2026

This iron tsuba shows a brightly shining mother-of-pearl inlay of cherry blossoms embedded into arabesques.

Sword Guard (Tsuba). Japanese, ca. 1615–1868. Iron, mother-of-pearl, gold, copper, H. 3 in. (7.6 cm); W. 2 3/4 in. (7 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 4.8 oz. (136.1 g). H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (29.100.974).

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