Helmet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This example is inscribed with the name Vizier Hasan Pāshā and the date A.H. 977 (A.D. 1588–89). A number of helmets and other elements of armor are engraved with the names of high-ranking Ottoman officials. These are not necessarily owners' names but presumably served as inventory markings, indicating the vizier who was responsible for the armories at the time or designating helmets that belonged to men under the vizier's command. Hasan Pāshā was governor of Egypt from 1580 to 1583.

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