Sallet "in the Venetian Style"

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sallets covered with textile and mounted with decorative metal appliqués were worn for parades and tournaments throughout Italy in the fifteenth century. The practice apparently was continued into the eighteenth century, particularly in Venice; hence these colorful helmets came to be called alla veneziana. The present example is covered with an old red velvet (but possibly applied in modern times) and mounted with a border of gilt-copper leaves, probably of seventeenth-century date (the leaves at the front and across the top are restorations). Unused rivet holes visible inside the bowl indicate that the helmet was once fitted with different appliqués.

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