Plate Two from Nouveavx Desseins D'Arquebvseries

Plate Two from Nouveavx Desseins D'Arquebvseries

De Lacollombe

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This print is a prime example of French designs for the decoration of firearms in the late rococo style, which set the fashion for luxury arms across Europe at the time. It was created by an enigmatic engraver known only as De Lacollombe and comes from a series of prints that was added to after his death and then published by his better-known pupil Gilles Demarteau (1722–1776) in about 1749. Individual motifs taken from them can be seen on guns made throughout the eighteenth century in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.