Pair of Stirrups

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These stirrups, due to their small size, may have been made for a child. The brass foil covering the iron, when new, would have given them a shiny golden aspect. Still recalling the shape of the examples made throughout all the 15th century, they are typical of the stirrups made in eastern Germany and Austria. The scale motif at the top is inspired by the decoration found on late Medieval Bohemian spurs and stirrups.

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