WIP · World in Pocket

Guns into Plowshares

Harrisonburg, United States of America

Guns into Plowshares

Guns into Plowshares is a sculpture by Mennonite artists Esther Augsburger and Michael Augsburger. It depicts the blade of a giant plow, fashioned out of steel and 3,000 disabled handguns. It stands sixteen feet tall and weighs four tons. The work alludes to a passage from the Book of Isaiah in whic

h the ancient Israelite prophet envisions a future when people "shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2:4; cf. Micah 4:3). The image of transforming swords into plowshares has been widely adopted by social and political groups working for peace. The sculpture was conceived in 1994, when the artists heard of a gun buyback program coordinated by the Washington, D.C., police. After three years of work, Guns into Plowshares was completed in 1997.

Listen to the audio guide for Guns into Plowshares Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby