Metalwork of protection, ceremony, rank, and movement.
Cover arms, armor, and fittings as technical metalwork.
Scope and caution
Arms and armor are included as historical objects, not as instructions for use. The page should focus on material, technique, design, ceremonial function, inscription, and museum ethics. Weapons can be practical, ceremonial, talismanic, diplomatic, or collectible; a single object may carry several of these roles.
Techniques
Steel blades and armor can be forged, heat-treated, polished, etched, watered, engraved, pierced, gilded, damascened, or decorated with koftgari. Handles, scabbards, guards, rivets, textile linings, leather, gems, and inscriptions make weapons composite objects. Horse gear uses metalwork for mobility, status, and display.
Interpretive themes
Arms and armor connect technology with sovereignty, masculinity, hunting, military service, courtly display, and religious or talismanic inscriptions. They also connect metalwork to textile, leather, and gem traditions. The site should include provenance caution because arms were heavily collected in colonial and antiquarian markets.