Gauntlet for the Right Hand

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This gauntlet is finely decorated with trophies or panoplies of arms, consisting of armor parts, weapons, musical instruments, and ribbons arranged in bands and set on a dotted ground. These motifs exist in many variations and are found regularly on Italian decorative art objects throughout much of the sixteenth century.

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