Designs for the Ornament of Swords and Firearms

Louis-François Devisme

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These designs are part of an album from the workshop of the Parisian gunmaker Louis-François Devisme (active 1833–1886). The album includes thirty-five original drawings, in addition to tracings and inked impressions ("pulls"), showing swords, parts of swords, firearms, and firearms ornament. Together they represent an eclectic mix of Renaissance revival, neoclassical, and Second Empire styles, all of which were popular in French decorative arts during the mid-nineteenth century.

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