The Collection
The American Wing Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing Asian Art The Cloisters The Costume Institute Drawings and Prints Egyptian Art European Paintings European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Robert Lehman Collection The Libraries Medieval Art Musical Instruments Photographs Antonio Ratti Textile Center Modern and Contemporary Art

Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Solar Observation Shield

German, probably Augsburg

first quarter of the 17th century

Not on view

This mysterious instrument has been in the collection of the Esterházy princes since 1696. It is likely the only one of its kind, and its function remains unknown. The height of the large disk of blue glass atop the striking wood and silver mount is adjustable; it may have been used to shield the eyes of a person observing an eclipse or the movement of the sun.

Solar Observation Shield, Pearwood (ebonized, stained), glass, silver (embossed, cast), German, probably Augsburg — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Solar Observation Shield

Date: first quarter of the 17th century

Culture: German, probably Augsburg

Medium: Pearwood (ebonized, stained), glass, silver (embossed, cast)

Dimensions: 13 × 4 1/8 in. (33 × 10.5 cm)

Classifications: Tools, Metalwork

Credit Line: Esterházy Privatstiftung, Burg Forchtenstein-Esterházy Schatzkammer

The Met

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Met

The Met's comprehensive collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century.