Rapier

Clemens Hartkopf

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This rapier is typical of the weapons that Valentin de Boulogne, the seventeenth-century painter, would have seen around him as a youth in France and during his maturity in Rome. Since rapiers were worn regularly by nobles, gentlemen, and professional soldiers as part of their daily dress and not only in battle, the swirling bars that make up the guard of a rapier hilt are designed to protect a gloved or bare hand.

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