Dagger with Scabbard

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This example belongs to the same group of late nineteenth-century Turkish weapons as the tray of daggers with accession number 23.232.1. Common features of this group include: scabbards of gilt copper worked in relief with strapwork or arabesques and overlaid with jeweled filigreed settings; jade grips of Indian origin; and blades either chiseled in relief or pierced and damascened in gold with inscriptions and false early dates.

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