Design of a Flintlock, Side Plate, Butt Plate, and Trigger Guard, unnumbered plate from Nouveaux Desseins d'Arquebuserie Inventez et Gravez par Le Sr. Gillot

Claude Gillot

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Claude Gillot is often remembered as an influential teacher of the famous painter Antoine Watteau. A highly accomplished painter, draughtsman and engraver himself, Gillot is noted for his lively and inventive style, free from academic restraint. This print is one of a series of eight sheets of original designs for firearms ornament created by Gillot in the Régence or French Regency style.

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