Yatagan with Scabbard

Yatagan with Scabbard

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This type of weapon, with a double-curved blade and a bifurcated pommel, is known as a yatagan. It was commonly used in Anatolia and the Balkans during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the sultan's elite corps, or Janissaries, and was carried in the waistband. This piece, with a blade elaborately decorated in gold and corals set into the handle, was probably made for presentation.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.