Pair of Stirrups

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pair of gilded bronze stirrups is decorated all over in rococo revival style, featuring scrolls and flowers, and a medallion bearing a crescent on each side of the branches. This type of stirrup, produced in several examples, was used during galas and other noble equestrian shows, possibly at the Royal Court itself. Traditional Portuguese classical dressage is still today using 17th and 18th-century style horse tack, including simplified forms of this very type of stirrup.

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