Pommel Plate from a Saddle

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The style, materials, and decorative techniques of this pommel plate are like those on Tibetan saddles, but this is the only known pommel plate to feature human figures or a secular scene of any kind, in this case a tiger hunt. It is very similar to hunting scenes that occur frequently on early fourteenth-century metalwork from the Ilkhanate, a state founded by the Mongols in Persia, which suggests that this plate was made for a Mongol patron, either in Persia or in Tibet, based on Ilkhanid designs.

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