Burgonet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This helmet ranks among the best examples of a type that was fashionable in France and the southern Netherlands in the early seventeenth century. It is remarkable for the excellence of its workmanship, particularly the symmetrically radiating fluting of the bowl, the precise embossed and engraved ornamentation, and the preservation of most of its gilding.

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