Curb Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

According to contemporary equestrian manuals, this complex mouthpiece, characteristic of the bits made between ca. 1530 and ca. 1550, was designed for lowering the horse's head. The shanks (the levers on the sides of the bit to which the reins were attached), are shaped as waving snakes or dragons, their heads hidden behind the large copper alloy bosses. These bosses, contemporary but not originally attached to this bit, bear a proverb in French stamped on their rims. They belong to a large group of bosses, some inscribed, produced in Northern France or in the Southern Netherlands (see also 42.50.227).

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