Curb Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

According to contemporary equestrian manuals, the mouthpiece of this bit was designed for a horse with a hard mouth and a thick tongue. Medieval style U-shape swinging shanks, visible on most horse bits until the 14th century, were still occasionally used in the 16th century, but they were rare, and essentially meant for mules (said to have very bad and hard mouths) or recalcitrant horses. The few representations of spiky shanks found in bit books assign them different purposes, some stating that they ‘prevent the horse from catching the shanks and putting them in its mouth’, others that they are ‘war shanks for preventing catching them with the hand’. Yet, in any case, the spikes of this bit seem too long and widely spaced to match with the published examples. The way these shanks are articulated, however, corresponds to a type of bit recommended for hunting by the Italian Pirro Antonio Ferraro in his equestrian treatise published in 1602 (Cavallo Frenato). Such a use would make sense with these spikes too, as they recall some contemporary dog collars used for wolf hunting. In this case the spikes would have protected the horse’s nose from being caught and bitten by a wild animal during the hunt.

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