Harvard’s Peabody Museum (11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, 617-496-1027, peabody.harvard.edu) has found a way to make war something beautiful to behold. While the act of waging war may still be ugly, the instruments of armed conflict used throughout history have often been marvels of skilled craftsmanship. From elaborate daggers and swords from India, Japan and Africa to striking shields, helmets and a suit of armor, more than 150 examples of armaments as art from all over the world are on display in the new exhibit Arts of War: Artistry in Weapons across Cultures. Catch a free lecture by show curator Steven A. LeBlanc entitled “Beautiful and Deadly: The Arts of War” on November 6 at 6 p.m. at the nearby Geological Lecture Hall (24 Oxford St.) for an inside glimpse at why different cultures across the globe are driven to decorate such dangerous and deadly objects.