Pikeman’s Armor

Pikeman’s Armor

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In battle formation, pikemen stood together in tight ranks and used their pikes to defend unarmored musketeers. The latter were deployed on the flanks of the pikemen and retreated behind them to reload after firing a volley. The pike is a steel-tipped spear up to eighteen feet long with which the pikemen fended off attacking cavalry. This tandem use of “shot and pike” was the fundamental principle governing infantry tactics for much of the seventeenth century. The quality of this armor and its decoration suggest that it was worn by an officer and that it may be a late product of the royal armor workshops at Greenwich, which closed in 1637 after 120 years of activity.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.