[Bill Grandy]

Am contemplating a DIY project, and would like some inspiration for leather covered wooden round shields. I've got plenty of images of the Scottish variety, would like some non-Scottish ones. At this point I'm not focused on a specific time period, so any pictures of antiques or of period illustrations would be appreciated.

[Sean Flynt]

Here's some info on 16th c. Irish targets. I think the first of these is the one shown in Osprey's The Irish Wars....
I found this text online--just text, no image.


Shield in the Collection of Mr. D.M. Bell (plate xxxii,
frontal full view only) - A very beautiful shield was lent
to the Art and Industrial Division of the National Museum by
Mr. David M. Bell, of Belfast, in 1914. Mr. Bell had obtained
it from a member of the Hamilton-Rowan family, in whose
possession it had been for many years. It is a circular shield,
19 inches in diameter, approximating to that of the shield which
in Scotland is known as the targe. The material is deer-hide laid
down on two plies of thin board, arranged so that the grain of one
crosses that of the other at right angles--to prevent warping.
It bears an elaborate scheme of impressed interlaced ornament,
consisting of three broad concentric rings, each divided into
four equal parts by two lines running entirely across the shield
at right angles to each other, and thus dividing it into twelve
separate compartments of interlacing. All the four panels into
which each is divided contain the same interlaced design : but
the design in each ring is different from that in the other two.
The whole scheme is very beautiful, and it has been very
skilfully worked out. Rows of brass nails, many of which are
now missing, outlined the panels, thus making four complete
circles of nails, and four straight lines, running from the
outer edge towards the centre. In addition there were two
groups of three nails each in each of the four panels of the
innermost ring. There is no umbo, or boss, nor is there any
trace of anything of the kind being applied to the centre,
which is quite flat and undecorated, save for the crossing
of the impressed lines above mentioned.

-----
There is in the collection of the O’Donovan of Lissard
a circular shield of deer-skin on a wood base about 19 inches
in diameter, which is reputed to have belonged to the last
Chieftain of the O’Donovan family, in the sixteenth century.
It is studded with brass nails arranged in a sort of sexfoil
design, and it has a bronze boss, or umbo, about an inch in
height in the centre.(2)[Journal of the Royal Historical and
Archaeological Association of Ireland (1879-82, p. 443).

[Thomas McDonald]

Mac

[Henrik Bjoern Boegh]

Hi Bill,

There is also an interesting targe in the portrait of Sir Neill O'Neill.

Cheers,
Henrik

[Bill Grandy]

Hey guys,
Thanks so far! Keep them coming!

[Sean Flynt]

The 16th c. Spanish targets were not round, but they might interest you. Here's one:

http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=178

[Thomas McDonald]

[Martin Wallgren]

[Bill Grandy]

[Pamela Muir]

Hi Bill,

I know these are the wrong continent and probably too small, but I thought I'd post the links anyway. Perhaps others might be interested.

http://www.snowwowl.com/naartshields.html
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/momaday/shields2.htm

Both sites have examples of Native American shields. I was looking for examples today because we went to a BSA event last night. A troop from Colorado was performing Native American dances. Of course, a lot of my attention was focused on the shields that were used as part of the costumes and as an integral part of some of the dances. The shields are about buckler size and are traditionally leather or rawhide stretched over a wooden frame.