Artwork preview

State Staff Weapon

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The dagger titled "State Staff Weapon" by an unknown artist depicts a long, narrow dagger blade with a pointed tip. The blade is silver with a weathered appearance. The blade has an engraving featuring a design with crossed items resembling a sword and a staff with a bird on top. Underneath the crossed items, there are two shields; the top one reads 1567 and text on the bottom; only the top portion of the text on the bottom shield can be seen. On the left side of the blade, running vertically, are more engraved words. A small section of the dagger's handle protrudes from the bottom. The blade is set against a plain gray background.

Artwork Details

Date
dated 1564
Medium
Steel, wood, gold, textile, metallic thread
Culture
Austrian
Dimensions
351 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette