Design for a Sword-belt, Knife, and Stylus

Pierre Woeiriot de Bouzey II

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pierre Woeiriot was trained as a goldsmith, but is renowned for his work as an engraver and printmaker. His prints feature his own original renderings of portraits, biblical scenes, religious emblems, jewelry, and rapier hilts. This engraving of a sword-belt with elaborate mounts, the latter no doubt intended to be executed in silver or gilt bronze, is among his rarest prints. Most of the sheet is devoted to a detailed depiction of an ornate sword-belt consisting of a waist belt, a diagonal strap (called the side-piece or ceinturon), and a sword hanger, which comprises two loops called slings. Each of these elements is adorned with elaborate figural fittings and buckles. In use, the scabbard of a sword or rapier would be held securely in the slings, with the diagonal strap keeping the scabbard at the desired angle. The initials PW (for Pierre Woeiriot) appear on the blade of an axe, seen just to the left of the figure of a Roman warrior, which is found on the fitting at the top of the slings. Arranged horizontally in the bottom left quarter of the sheet, below the diagonal strap, there is a stylet or bodkin above a knife, each with a complex figural grip.

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