Smallsword Hilt

Matthew Boulton

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This hilt combines two of the most popular elements of English jewelry during the last quarter of the eighteenth century: highly polished cut-steel beads and blue-and-white cameos of Wedgwood jasperware. The industrialist Matthew Boulton (1728–1809) of Birmingham, who specialized in cut-steel articles, is known to have collaborated with Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795) in combining jasperware cameos and steel settings to make buttons, watch fobs, and chatelaines. It is likely that this hilt originated in Boulton's factory.

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