Pair of Stirrups

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Each stirrup is decorated on the outside and on the front shell with elegant grape vine scrolls. The inside of each branch is adorned too, displaying a candelabra composition with scrolls, cornucopias and unicorn protomes, probably inspired from an ornamental print. This shape of stirrups, evolved from 16th-century German types, became very popular in several other countries in the first decades of the 17th century, including the Netherlands, Northern Italy or Spain.

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