Snaffle Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The snaffle bit is the simplest type of horse bit, and has an effect on the bars (part of the horses’ jaw without teeth) and the corners of the lips. The mouthpiece of this example is composed of two links jointed in the middle, with two articulated buttons for the reins. This bit was originally possibly completed by larger metal rings or cheekpieces made of perishable material, like wood or bone. The cheekpieces help indicate the direction to the horse and keep the rings from pulling through the horse's mouth. The headstall would have probably been connected to these missing rings or cheekpieces as well. Horse bits like this one were buried in male graves with other pieces of horse tack and weapons. This type of bit is found in late Bronze age and early Iron age contexts from the Caucasus to the Italian peninsula. This example is said to have been excavated in Andria, Italy, but many similar bits have also been found in the Koban necropolis, Caucasus, in today's Russia, and in Romania.

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