The Helmet of a Commander
Bronze, silver, and ivory. Greek, mid-VI century B.C.
From a Greek colony at Metaponto, Italy
ARMOR AND ARMS
An elementary handbook and guide to the collection in the
City Art Museum of St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
by
Thomas T. Hoopes
Curator of the Museum
State sword, German, Augsburg, XVI century
St. Louis, Missouri
1954
Copyright 1954 by the City Art Museum of St. Louis, Mo.
PREFACE
This publication is a guide to the armor and arms in the City ArtMuseum of St. Louis and, incidentally, a very elementary introductionto the history of arms and armor in general. The major part of the Museum’scollection, comprising the European armor and arms of the fifteenth,sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, is displayed in a single armor gallery.Other specimens are shown with the exhibition of their own special cultures.
The City Art Museum is, as its name implies, restricted to objects ofart, to objects which, independently of their usefulness, are more or lessbeautiful by the intention of their makers. There are numerous items inthe vast range of armor and arms which do not fill this requirement, andare purely utilitarian. The Museum possesses specimens of some of these.As they are not considered objects of art they are not on exhibition, buthave been assembled in a special study collection where they can be seenon application to the Curator.
When individual specimens are illustrated, they are given, in the listof illustrations, their identifying Museum serial numbers. If a reader failsto find on exhibition any such specimen in which he is interested, he hasonly to ask for it by this serial number at the information desk. If its placeof exhibition has been changed he will be told where to find it; if for anyreason it has been temporarily removed from exhibition, arrangementswill be made, if possible, for him to see it.
The subject of armor and arms is neither short nor simple, and it isquite impossible, in a publication the size of this one, to do more than givethe barest kind of outline. Many points of interest are not discussed indetail, some technical terms are unexplained, many fascinating items arenot mentioned at all. If the subject interests you, you will find helpfulinformation in the books listed on page 43, most of which will be availableat any public library. If specific questions concerning armor and arms areaddressed to the Curator, City Art Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis 5,Missouri, accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they will beanswered as far as practicable, but research problems cannot be undertaken.