Medieval shields / paveses / targes

[Andi]

The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art has some really nice medieval shields in its collection and some HD-Images on its website:

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections...tions/40006290

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections...tions/40005369

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections...tions/40011274

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections...tions/40005181

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections...tions/40001569

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections...tions/40001548


A really outstanding nice shield:

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections...tions/40001083


The standing shields from Erfurt unfortunately without images:

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections...tions/40001549

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections...tions/40001062
Due to copyright reasons I have not posted the images.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Andi

... Due to copyright reasons I have not posted the images...

I don't get it, Andi; maybe my ignorance but ... you are posting the images, whether in the form of links or direct images.
No problem in doing that, though, once you are doing it on a fair use basis.
Please do upload the images; links are no good for forum archive purposes.
... And, by the way, i had the previlege to see these shields personally; outsanding examples.

[David]

I will second Fernando's remark here. Posting these images here would not be a copyright problem and would be allowable under "fair usage". The problem with links is that they often disappear leaving discussions with no visual examples years later. Probably less likely to happen with links to the Met, but you never know...
Awesome shields BTW..

[Andi]

Sorry! I understand.

Here in Germany it is delicate to publish copyrighted marterial in forums as a lot of lawyers are making a good business issuing extremely expensive written warnings to the forum owners or users

Here are the images:

The last number in the file name is following the links mentioned in my earlier post. The file name contains the short description and dating of the shields according to MET-Museums pages.

[Andi]

And this is my absolute favourite shiels. The painting so so nice and especially the girl is depictes soo cute with excellent fine details of her clothing like the lacing of her dresses sleeve, or the collar of her undergarment. In case the painting is originally from the 1450s it is really extraordinary for its period and contemporary depictions can only be find by masters of arts. In my opinion it reaches the quality of paintings by the van Eyck brothers, Robert Campin, Rogier van der Weyden and others. (Just my opiniononly - cultural historians may disagree me )

[Andi]

From Italy Pavia dated to late 15th century at Glasgow Museums

http://collections.glasgowmuseums.co...tml?oid=152066

[fernando]

Excelent feedback, Andi; thank you for that
Ah, i feel as if i were still there enjoying thr sight of these tournament shields .
I am with you on the favourite example choice; although i would also elect the one with the owl, with its peculiar motif and fascinating motto.
"Although I am the hated bird, I rather enjoy that."

[Andi]

One of the Vienna shields dated to 1493-1508 at Bürgerliches Zeughaus

Unfortunately the image is a bit poor.

http://wwwg.uni-klu.ac.at/kultdoku/k.../html/2824.htm

[Andi]

This one can be seen at Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München. It shows a wild man holding a swinging an archaic mace and the coat of arms of the Bavarian City of Deggendorf. Ca 1450.

It was very hard to take this photo as the spotlights were blinking all over the object

[Andi]

Two paveses from Museum Lauriacum in Enns, Austria. Depicting St. Geoge dating to 2nd half of 15th century.

http://www.museum-lauriacum.at/m/ind...tadtgeschichte

I am allways astonished about the high quality of the paintings on the shields. But probably this was one of the main reasons that they survived for the last 5 centuries. I guess most of the simple infantrist's shields ended up as firewood.

[Andi]

Some of the famous shields from the former Erfurt townhall at Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin. Dated to 1286-1348 and 1348-1385. More than 30 pieces have survived there as as wall decoration in the main hall.

http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=MI007443
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=MI007442

[Andi]

@ Fernando:

The motto "fahr mit Freuden" (go with joy) on the first Tournament or Cavalry Shield is also very nice. In German it can also be commonly interpreted as "die with joy" or less commonly also as attac with joy i wonder which one has been the right one

[fernando]

Why not a two in one :
For tournaments, go with joy !
For battle, die with joy !

[Andi]

In deed it is an ambiguous inscription and its owner and his opponent may interprete it according to the actual situation

Here are some more paveses of German Historica Museum Berlin:

Köln (Cologne) Inventory W 1055 15th century
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=ak005369

A black&white Image of a Konstanz pavese depicting the coat of arms of the city of Konstanz with its white shield, with a black cross and the red top 15th century.
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005367

A Ravensburg pavese with a beaughtiful black castle or a fortified city gate 1446-1455.
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005366

A pavese from the St-George-brotherhood from Winterthur Switzerland 1446-1455.
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005370

A small pavese depicting St George defeating a dragon from Nuremberg ca 1480
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005377

A very nice Bohemian pavese with a floral ornaments 1446-1455.
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005371

I guess the Museum has dated the shields in categories as some of the dates are repeatedly mentioned.

[Andi]

Two examples without painting ca 1480

A pavise from the Bararian town Schongau am Lech with Eagle and Bavarian coat of arms ca 1480
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005372

An other one of the Nuremberg Imhoff family. Shield dated to 15th century, painting dated to 16th century.
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005373

Deggendorf, Bavaria ca. 1401-1450
http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?...fld_0=AK005374

[Andi]

Bern, Switzerland - Bern Historical Museum 13th century depicting the black bear, the symbol of Kanton Bern and the City of Bern.
http://www.lebendige-traditionen.ch/...x.html?lang=en

[Battara]

Fascinating shields. So different from Asiatic ones.

[Andi]

All this shiels are from the perod of approx. 14th and 15th century. They were designed for battles, and the smaller tournament shields were primarily used for sportive tournaments. Earlier shields and the younger ones have been different due to changes in warfare techniques and armament. This are probably also the reasons for the differences in Asian shields. But I am not an expert in this issue.

I have just started my research in early firearms and defensive weapons of the 14th century half a year ago. Therefore I was very lucky when I discoverd this interesting and nice forum.

[Andi]

What I ask myself: What is the thickness of the shields corpus?

Most publications states over all sizes and probaly their weight and probably the type of the wood, but almost no article states the thickness of the shields wooden construction. Some publications are showing chross sectional drawings of shield constructions but most of them did not reproduce the correct thickness of the wood. And an other probelm: In most of the drawins the wooden structures are marked with a wood grain texture (just to display this is wood) but this texture in almost all cases did not reflect the correct orientation of the wood grains within the construction - which woud be a very important information for the construction, its strengthness and for reproductions.

Antique germanic round shields survived in Thjorsberg moor, Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany 3rd century or Illerup Ådal, Jytland, Denmark 3rd-5th century had thicknesses of 10 mm or less. On the Thorsbjers shields no signs of organic reinforcement such as a linen or raw hide coating had been discovered and thin bronze decorations and edge reinforcements proofed that no raw hide or linnen was mounted between the bronze decoration and the wood.

Survived wooden frankish/alamannic round shields from the alamannic graveyard Oberflacht, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, 7.th/8th century had a diameter of 81 cm and a thickness of 10 mm in the center and approx. 6 mm on the edge. Here an organic reinforcement with a raw hide or natural gut / bowel was possible but due to their early discovery and conservation in the 19th century no signs were observed.

I have tried to reconst an Alamannic shield of the Oberflacht type. Made from 7 glued laminated spruce wood of 100 in the center and 8 mm on the edge, reinforced with laminated linnen fabric on the back and laminated and sawn on raw hide at the front. The painting was made (not authentically correct) with oil colours and linseed oil - here I should have taken gesso - which I didn't know it that time. The weight of the shield is ca 5 kgs, which I guess is too heav compared to historic originals.
http://www.lentienser.de/index.php/m...ien/rundschild
Unfortunately my site is presently available in German only.


Attached a photo of 2 Thorbjerg shields dated to 3rd chentury on dislpay at Archäologisches Landesmuseum Schloss Gottorf, Schleswig, Germany.