Socket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial Staff

Socket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial Staff

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This socket appears to be the only known piece of ironwork with a dual language dedicatory inscription in Tibetan and Mongolian. The upper half is encircled by eleven horizontal lines of Tibetan, alternately damascened in gold and silver. The lower half has fourteen vertical lines of Classical Mongolian, mostly in silver, but with certain words highlighted in gold. The inscription is dedicated to Yonten Gyasto (1589–1617), the Fourth Dalai Lama, who was the great grandson of the Mongol ruler Altan Khan. It also identifies the donor as Sodnam Ombu Taiji, one of the most powerful noblement of Inner Mongolia at the time.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Socket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial StaffSocket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial StaffSocket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial StaffSocket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial StaffSocket from a Spearhead or a Ceremonial Staff

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.