Double Curb Bit
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
This kind of curb bit belongs to a rare type, typically German, already recorded in Saxony in the mid-16th century and still produced in the early 1600s. Instead of eliciting one pair of shanks (the levers on the sides of the bit to which the reins were attached), it has two, each one having a different effect on the horse. Pulling back the longest shanks with the reins would have an action on the purchase (the piece at the top of each cheekpiece), pressing on the sensitive poll area through the bridle attached to the bit’s eyes, and pressing on the chin with the curb chain (missing, would have originally from the hooks). The second pair of shanks would only have an action on the port, the U-shape central part of the mouthpiece. Pulling this second pair of reins would swing forward the elongated piece at the top, and roll it against the horse’s palate. The mouthpiece itself is harsh, its molded revolving cylinders being very sharp for the gums on which they would rest. The long central pierced pendant, however, with its small hanging beads, was meant to ‘entertain’ the horse, which, by playing with it with its tongue, would salivate and relax its jaw. Recorded in some 16th-century equestrian books as being made ‘for a wild horse that cannot be held,’ this was a very strong kind of bit, probably somewhat experimental, that would only be used for dressage. Beside its technical complexity, this bit is entirely adorned with chiseled and pierced vegetal and geometrical motifs, typical of the decoration used by the spur makers in the South East of Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. Despite their name, spur makers not only made spurs, but also all the small equestrian hardware like bits, stirrups, muzzles, cavessons or curry-combs, sometimes adorned with the same intricate decoration.
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.