Asian & Oriental Arms — 14th century

About this collection

This collection covers 17 Asian arms objects from the 14th century, delivered across 48 images in 9 ZIP assets. The 14th century was shaped by the aftermath of the Mongol conquests — the Ilkhanate, the Golden Horde, and the Delhi Sultanate all produced distinctive arms traditions that combined steppe nomadic and Islamic craft elements. The collection provides rare primary visual reference for this formative period across multiple Asian traditions.

Why it matters

14th-century Asian arms are among the rarest objects in any collection — the combination of organic materials, iron's susceptibility to corrosion, and the political upheavals of the post-Mongol world mean that survivals from this period are extraordinary. The Royal Armouries' 17 objects provide primary evidence for arms traditions otherwise known primarily through manuscript sources.

Use cases & time to value

• Asian material culture research: Primary visual source for comparative study of arms traditions across Asia
• AI training: Diverse labelled dataset spanning Japanese, Indian, Ottoman, Persian, and Southeast Asian traditions
• Game & film production design: Accurate reference for Asian historical settings across multiple periods
• Publishing & editorial: Ready-to-license museum-quality imagery for books on Asian arms and military history
• Museum education: High-quality imagery for galleries and programmes on non-European arms traditions

Data schema

Collection stats

9 assets · 17 objects · 48 images · 14th century