shield (weapons: accessories)

Steel shield 'dhal' . It is chased and engraved against a relieved ground with extensive scenes of the chase involving horsemen, antelopes and lions. Some of the horsemen display wonderful riding skills whilst using bows or swords. In the centre is a roundel containing a Persian inscription. Similar inscriptions are chiseled and damascened in silver within cartouches around the border. The brim is reinforced with riveted brass strips, and the shield is fitted with 4 bosses intended to retain 4 iron rings on the inside. These rings would have served to anchor the grip straps and the knuckle pad, all of which are missing. The shield retains its cotton lining.

Such shields (dhal) were invariably made with a matching helmet (kulah khud) and an arm guard (bazu band). They were produced in large numbers for a purely decorative market as the age of firearms had already made them practically redundant.

fighting

object
MUSEUM NUMBER
22.12.53/2
PLACE
COLLECTION
MEASUREMENTS
overall: 462.28 mm
MATERIAL/TECHNIQUE
iron; textile; copper alloy
CATEGORY
Anthropology: Ethnography
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Collection Information

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