Powder Flask

Unknown

ca. 1570 · Antler, iron · Arms and Armor

The consummate works of an anonymous French artist, this flask and another in the Metropolitan Museum's collection (acc. no. 14.25.1491) are made of polished antler, and expertly carved at the front. Whereas the latter sports the heraldic arms and personal emblem of its noble owner, this flask features a scene from the Old Testament, David's victory over the giant Goliath. As is often the case, the metal mountings that would have capped the flasks’s extremities are now lost.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1570

Medium

Antler, iron

Culture

French

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2014