Pointed Morion

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although worn with age, this elaborately etched morion is particularly interesting for the mark struck at the front of its brim––the Lion of Saint Mark, the Venetian control stamp. Venice had subjugated the armor-manufacturing city of Brescia in the fifteenth century, and, as a result, Brescia became the main supplier of armor used in Venetian service. Similarly marked morions are preserved in the former arsenal of the Serenissima in the Palazzo Ducale, Venice. The ornament, consisting of allover strapwork interlace enclosing trophies of arms, is in the French taste.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art