Miquelet Rifle of Ali Pasha

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Algerian firearms are typically very long and fitted with smoothbore barrels imported from Europe. The finest guns have stocks inlaid with silver (and occasionally gold), pierced and engraved with meandering floral and geometric designs. This example is unusual in bearing the name of the maker, his patron (an aga, probably an official at the court of the dey of Algiers), and the date. The silver is struck with an Algerian hallmark.

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