Great Sallet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This helmet is part of a unique group of late medieval helmets and armor fragments that was discovered about 1840 in the ruins of a Venetian fortress at Chalcis, on the Greek island of Euboea. Founding curator of the Arms and Armor Department at the Metropolitan Museum Bashford Dean saw the Chalcis group in Athens in the 1890s and, recognizing its rarity and importance, eventually was able to acquire a substantial portion of it (a selection is on permanent display in the Museum, gallery 373). After Dean's death, this helmet was owned by Clarence H. Mackay, a major art collection, trustee of the Museum, and great admirer of Dean. It later belonged to Dean's successor, Stephen Grancsay, who subsequently donated it to the Museum.

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