Belt Carrier with Powder Flask and Pouch for Chargers

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This flask is of the type carried by the guard (Trabantenleibgarde) of the Elector of Saxony. Carved in relief with a pikeman dressed in early seventeenth-century costume, the boxwood flask retains its gilt bronze mountings as well as a velvet-covered chamois pouch, silk braided carrier, and belt hook. The pouch features three compartments for paper cartridges and additional pockets for bullets and buckshot.

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