Hungarian-style Shield, ca. 1500–1550 Eastern European Wood, leather, gesso, polychromy. Wing-shaped shields, with the distinctive upward-sweeping back edge, were the characteristic light-cavalry shields of Hungary. During the sixteenth century, the style was adopted across much of eastern Europe by both Christian and Islamic horsemen. The shield’s elongated upper edge was designed to defend the back of the head and neck against cuts from the saber, the preferred cavalry weapon in that region. This shield is painted on its exterior with the double-bladed sword of the Prophet Muhammad and on its interior with the Crucifix and instruments of the Passion. This unusual mix of Islamic and Christian symbols suggests that the shield was used in a tournament by a Christian warrior dressed in oriental fashion. In these “Hungarian-style” tournaments, the participants wore Hungarian and Turkish costumes and used sabers to strike off feathers attached to their opponents’ helmets and to the apex of their painted shields. Even at a time when Turkish armies were a constant threat to eastern Europe, their costumes and tactics were imitated by their Christian foes.
View Separately

Hungarian-style Shield, ca. 1500–1550 Eastern European Wood, leather, gesso, polychromy.

Wing-shaped shields, with the distinctive upward-sweeping back edge, were the characteristic light-cavalry shields of Hungary. During the sixteenth century, the style was adopted across much of eastern Europe by both Christian and Islamic horsemen.

The shield’s elongated upper edge was designed to defend the back of the head and neck against cuts from the saber, the preferred cavalry weapon in that region.

This shield is painted on its exterior with the double-bladed sword of the Prophet Muhammad and on its interior with the Crucifix and instruments of the Passion. This unusual mix of Islamic and Christian symbols suggests that the shield was used in a tournament by a Christian warrior dressed in oriental fashion. In these “Hungarian-style” tournaments, the participants wore Hungarian and Turkish costumes and used sabers to strike off feathers attached to their opponents’ helmets and to the apex of their painted shields.

Even at a time when Turkish armies were a constant threat to eastern Europe, their costumes and tactics were imitated by their Christian foes.

Source: islamic-arts.org

31 Notes/ Hide

  1. psychedelic-satan reblogged this from giovannigf
  2. f-featherbrain reblogged this from giovannigf
  3. giovannigf reblogged this from lshefler
  4. kotaline reblogged this from lshefler
  5. lshefler reblogged this from hominisaevum
  6. trollception reblogged this from hominisaevum
  7. auspiciousplatypus reblogged this from hominisaevum
  8. telephonecigarettes reblogged this from hominisaevum
  9. asiwaswalkingallalone reblogged this from hominisaevum
  10. coeurdelhistoire reblogged this from hominisaevum
  11. quidditchcorgisandfinland reblogged this from hominisaevum
  12. hominisaevum posted this