Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)

Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This partisan, along with two like it also in the Metropolitan Museum's collection (acc. nos. 14.25.454, 04.3.65), are thought to have been carried by the Gardes de la Manche (literally, “guards of the sleeve,” indicating their close proximity to the king), an elite unit of the bodyguard of Louis XIV. This example (along with 04.3.65) bears the king’s motto and sunburst above the crowned arms of France and Navarre, which are encircled by the collars of the royal orders of the Holy Spirit and Saint Michael. 04.3.65 is inscribed RAVOISIE FOVRBISSEVR DV ROY A PARIS, probably referring to Bonaventure Ravoisie, a royal cutler recorded between 1678 and 1709. The other partisan (14.25.454) is from a small group designed by Jean Bérain the Elder (1637–1711) for the marriage of Louis’s niece Marie-Louise d’Orléans to Carlos II of Spain in 1679. The decoration features a sunburst surmounted by the king’s motto, NEC PLURIBUS IMPAR (not equaled by many). Beneath, the sun god Apollo is being crowned with laurel by the winged figure of Fame. The sunburst and Apollo were favorite symbols of Louis XIV, the self-styled Sun King.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)Partisan Carried by the Bodyguard of Louis XIV (1638–1715, reigned from 1643)

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.