Hunting Sword and Scabbard

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The European taste for Asian designs and materials was particularly strong in the early eighteenth century. European-style sword hilts made of shakudō, an alloy of copper and gold that was popular in Japan for sword fittings, appear to have been made at Deshima for the Dutch East India Company, which exported them to Holland to be fitted out with European blades.

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