The MET's New Barware Emulates Gleaming 16th Century Italian Armor

Now you too can recall the shining glory of 16th-century Italian design every time you make a drink. Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a.k.a. The MET) in New York, you can give your home bar a chivalrous upgrade by shopping from their latest home collection.

One of the collection's centerpieces is barware that is based on the design of a piece of 16th-century Italian cavalryman's armor. Museum gift shops are full of great home items that have been inspired by legendary art, but this unique set of barware takes its source material as simple inspiration to create something entirely new. Though the designs are similar, guests won't feel like they're on a medieval battlefield when you pour them a martini.

Over the last 125 years, the MET's Arms and Armor Department has amassed a massive collection of historic pieces from throughout the globe. There are more than 14,000 pieces that designers could have looked to for inspiration, but chose a piece of Italian light cavalry armor made in the German style to inspire this gorgeous set of barware.

The MET's new barware set consists of a bar tray, ice bucket, cocktail shaker, pitcher, and snack bowls that have all been constructed in stainless steel. The museum says that select details from the gilded steel armor set were taken as inspiration for the many decorative etchings carved into the barware, per its website. Each is decorated in a modern interpretation of the gold bands that cascade across the armor like sunlight at dawn. Leather accents were also added to recall the armor's leather shoulder straps and belt.

Whether you're looking for a gift for the home bartender in your life, or just looking to upgrade your own bar equipment, any one of these pieces would serve as a striking option. Simply get the proper set of cocktail glasses to keep on hand, and you'll be ready to serve up batch cocktails for this holiday season, and all year long. The entire set is available in The MET's online store.