Pair of Pistols with Flintlocks alla Fiorentina

Cristiano Leoni

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

From ancient times, Lombardy, in northern Italy, was one of Europe’s most important industrial and arms-making regions. Beginning in the sixteenth century, production of firearms concentrated in and around the city of Brescia, which soon became widely known for the export of high-quality guns and pistols. Migrant craftsmen from Brescia helped establish firearms workshops in other parts of Italy. Sensitive to the tastes of their patrons, Italian inventors and gunmakers developed new constructions incorporating technological advances from France and Germany and styles derived from Spain’s political and cultural presence in Italian territories. Decoration on Italian firearms was confined mostly to the metal parts, which often were lavishly chiseled, pierced, and engraved to produce sculptural surfaces and lacelike adornments. The artist-chiselers based their compositions on fashionable Baroque patterns, floral motifs, and imagery drawn from local folklore.

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