Description: A polished white steel defensive shield of convex chamfered construction with four lion-head enarmes, roping around the edges and a large central spike held in place by what appears to be its original nut and washer.  Approximate dimensions: 21 inches, height without spike 3 inches,  spike 4 inches.

Discussion:   The story of the shield in Europe begins with our old friend, the Bayeux Tapestry (see page 51 in my book). The Normans and Saxons used different shields. • The Saxon shield was circular or oval and concave (see page 403-A). • The Normans carried kite-shaped, concave shields (see page 403-B). Until the 1500s, shields shared the same construction method, mainly wood covered in gesso canvas with strips of metal or horn as reinforcement. The shield was borrowed from the tradition of the Roman legions. The Romans used to paint the symbol of the legions to which they belonged on the shields used by their troops so that they could easily be distinguished from the opponents’s army, even from a distance. Not only did the Medieval/Renaissance shield offer protection during combat, but it also served as a differentiation between enemies and friends during ongoing battles.

 After 1450, shields began to lose popularity. By now, full-body plate armor was in wide use, making the shield much less important than in the past. However, with the popularity of half and three-quarter armor circa 1550, shields once again came into vogue. Shields were used by the infantry and private and civic guards (see page 161 in my book).