Curb Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

According to contemporary equestrian manuals, this was a gentle-medium bit, good for horses with a good mouth but a thick tongue and sensitive bars (part of the horses’ jaw without teeth). The gooseneck canons of the mouthpiece were meant to give more freedom to the tongue. The banquets, the parts of the cheekpieces where the mouthpiece is attached, can be opened to switch out the mouthpiece, a feature particularly appreciated on dressage bits in Germany. If the very long shanks look impressive, and would logically add more leverage effect, and so more strength, they would actually have been blocked at some point by the horse’s chest, reducing their impact. Curb bits were also at this time used with a very light hand, the well-trained horses responding by anticipation to the slightest move of the reins.

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