This exhibition is the first comprehensive study of armor, weapons, and equestrian equipment from the Tibetan plateau, a subject that has remained virtually unexplored until now. Many rare or previously unknown examples of helmets, body armor, swords, horse armor, saddles, and stirrups are exhibited and published here for the first time. Dating from the 13th to the 19th century, these objects include some of the finest examples of Himalayan ironwork decorated with gold and silver and extremely rare leatherwork embellished with paint or lacquer.

Himalayan Warriors: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paperback, 2006, $45.00

Donald J. LaRocca is Curator, Department of Arms and Armor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. John Clarke is Curator, Department of Asian Art, Victoria and Albert Museum. Amy Heller is a Tibetologist and art historian affiliated with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Paris). Lozang Jamspal is an Adjunct Professor, Department of Religion, Columbia University.

	Contents: Warriors of the Himalayas
	Foreword	vii
	Acknowledgments	viii
	Lenders to the Exhibition	x
	A Note to the Reader about the Use of Tibetan Terms	xi
	Map	xii
	Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet, by Donald J. LaRocca	3
	A History of Ironworking in Tibet: Centers of Production, Styles, and Techniques, by John Clarke	21
	Armor and Weapons in the Iconography of Tibetan Buddhist Deities, by Amy Heller	35
	The Gonkhang, Temple of the Guardian Deities, by Lozang Jampal	43
	CATALOGUE
	Lamellar Armor and Helmets	51
	Helmets	68
	Shields	92
	Horse Armor	96
	Leather Armor	116
	Mail and Other Forms of Armor	126
	Swords	146
	Pears, Spearheads, and Miscellaneous Weapons	174
	Archery Equipment	187
	Firearms and Accessories	198
	Saddles and Tack, Stirrups, and Bridles	214
	Appendixes
	Excerpts from A Treatise on Worldly Traditions	253
	Types and Subtypes of Swords, Helmets, and Armor Named in A Treatise on Worldly Traditions	264
	Tibetan-English Glossary of Arms and Armor Terms	267
	Radiocarbon Dating Results	288
	Bibliography	289
	Index	299