Armed + Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal, the current exhibit at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, offers an audio walkthrough via iPod Touch. Anyone interested in history would enjoy hearing more details on certain swords or armor plates, but most of my time was spent admiring the art on the weapons.

The exhibit kicks off with African and Persian spears and shields, each of which are carefully put in their context. But Armed + Dangerous is about much more than “weapons of war,” there is a bigger emphasis on the cultural artistry and beauty of each piece. Each section of the exhibit explains why people were inspired to make these weapons pieces of art. Yes, war has always been popular among human beings, but this exhibit points out that there is a deeper meaning behind all of this steel. 

The arms and armor seen in the exhibit were selected for their historical value, including their artistry, beauty, and meaning, but my favorite was the last section on Contemporary Weapons. The pieces in this collection reveal the culture of the people who created them, and teach us a valuable lesson: Weapons have enormous implications for who we are as people on this planet.

Armed + Dangerous: Art of the Arsenal runs at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art through March 11.