Sallet in the Franco-Burgundian Style

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This sallet is one of the few surviving examples in the Franco-Burgundian fashion. Although constructed in the contemporary Italian manner, with separate brow and tail plates, the pointed bowl is characteristic of sallets illustrated in French and Burgundian manuscripts and tapestries and of several surviving examples preserved in English churches. The generally similar sallet preserved at Coventry Cathedral bears Milanese-style marks thought to be those of an Italian armorer working in Bruges who is also recorded as having an English clientele. Reportedly found in a river in France (the Somme and Meuse are both cited as its source), this sallet was deeply corroded and has been extensively repaired.

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