Wheellock Carbine

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Painted decoration on gunstocks was not a common form of firearms decoration. Very few examples survive today, and this is possibly the finest. The size of this gun suggests it may have been made for Louis XIII when he was a young boy. It is from the French Royal Arms Collection, inventory number 52.

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