Horse Bit

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This elaborately decorated bit, resembling the spade bit used by some (Western-style) riders today, has a large projecting tongue, or port, that would have been inserted into the horse’s mouth. The bridle was attached to the moveable rectangular plaques, while the reins were strung through the rings on the straight bar, beneath the horse’s jaw. The severity of the bit implies both a well-schooled horse and a skilled rider; a misstep by either would inflict great pain on the beast. The rich inlaid decoration includes Greek monograms, human faces, animal heads, and vine scrolls. Perhaps copied from or inspired by Byzantine art, the Greek monogram likely indicated the importance of the horse’s owner.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art