Fragment of a Dagger Hilt
Unknown Artist
500 BCE–300 CE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
3 3/4 x 1 5/8 in. (9.5 x 4.1 cm)
Classification
Metalwork
Culture & Period
Vietnam (North) · Bronze and Iron Age period
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Samuel Eilenberg Collection, Bequest of Samuel Eilenberg, 1998
Accession Number
2001.433.351
Tags
Art Historical Context
This fragment of a dagger hilt, crafted in bronze between 500 BCE and 300 CE, provides a tangible connection to the Bronze and Iron Age cultures of northern Vietnam. During this transformative period, communities in the region developed sophisticated metalworking, using bronze to create tools and weapons that reflected both practical needs and emerging artistic expression. As part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Asian Art collection, the piece highlights the early technological achievements of Vietnamese artisans who mastered alloying and casting methods long before widespread iron use. Though o...