Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The young Henry, Prince of Wales (15941612), ordered this sumptuous armor as a gift for his older cousin, the nineteen-year-old German prince Friedrich Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (15911634), on the occasion of the latter's visit to England in 1610. Specifically commissioned from a team of foreign and local armorers working exclusively for the English Crown in Greenwich, the armor was not delivered until 1613. It is the most fully documentedand seemingly the lastlu...xurious armor made in the Royal Workshops at Greenwich. The armor is part of the promised gift of a transformative collection of arms and armor from Ronald S. Lauder. It is reunited here with its original gauntlets, which entered the Museum's collection more than a century ago. Follow the link in comments below to learn more! #MetArmsandarmor #ArmsandArmor #TheMet #MetAnywhere #armor #gift #Greenwich #reunited Armor Made for Duke Friedrich Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (15911634). Royal Workshops at Greenwich. British (Greenwich), ca. 161012. Steel, gold, leather, textile, copper alloy. Promised Gift of Ronald S. Lauder Pair of Gauntlets. Royal Workshops at Greenwich. British (Greenwich), ca. 161012. Steel, gold, leather, textile, copper alloy. Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.899a, b) See more

Mail shirts reinforced with steel or iron plates appear to have been developed first in Iran or Anatolia in the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century. Variations of mail-and-plate armor were worn subsequently throughout the Middle East by the Persians, Ottomans, and Mamluks. The style probably was introduced into India early in the Mughal period due to Ottoman influence on Mughal military practices. This armor is part of a large group of material that comes from the a...rmory of the maharajas of Bikaner in Rajastan, northern India. An inscription inside one of the plates gives the name of Maharaja Anup Singh (reigned 166998) and the date samvat 1748 (A.D. 1691-2). Anup Singh was a general in the armies of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and led a series of campaigns in the Deccan in the 1680s and 1690s, including battles at Golconda in 1687 and Adoni in 1689. The date on the armor indicates that it must have been taken as booty during one of the Deccan campaigns. #MetArmsandArmor #ArmsandArmor #TheMet #MetAnywhere #armor #mail #plate #shirt #Deccan #Deccani #Indian Shirt of Mail and Plate. Indian, Deccani, probably Vijayapur, Karntaka, 17th Century. Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2000 (2000.497) See more

Preparations are well under way for our upcoming special exhibition, "Emperors, Artists & Inventors: Transformative Gifts of Fine Arms and Armor," opening December 21, 2020 at The Met Fifth Avenue. Exquisite pieces of armor, ornate swords, and luxurious firearms were donated to The Met in celebration of the Museum’s 150th anniversary. With this exhibition of their gifts, we celebrate the unfailing generosity and support of the following individuals and foundations: Anne Brockinton Lee and The Robert M. Lee Foundation; Irene Roosevelt Aitken, the Russell B. Aitken and Irene R. Aitken Collection; Laird Landmann and Kathleen Kinney; Ronald S. Lauder; Steven Kossak and The Kronos Collections; Dr. Kenneth Lam and Dr. Vivian Chui; and Edward LaPuma.

This spearhead was probably made for use by an oracle, or in another ceremony or ritual involving the propitiation of a deity, as indicated by its form and decoration, and particularly by the prominently placed word kyai, written in a Tibetan script. This symbol, known as a seed syllable, was sometimes used to invoke a deity in ritual contexts. #MetArmsandArmor #ArmsandArmor #TheMet #MetAnywhere #spear #spearhead #MdungRtse #Tibet #kyai #oracle #ritual Spearhead (Mdung Rtse). Tibetan, 17th18th century. Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2001 (2001.180)

#MetKids loves to respond to letters and artwork from kids all over the world who are inspired by The Met. Recently, third graders from the Bronx wrote to us about their visit to the Museum to learn about Japanese culture. Check out a few of their drawings inspired by their favorite artworks, including blades and mountings for a pair of swords (daish) in the Department of Arms and Armor (acc. no. 36.120.417a, b, .418ac).