Front of a Hungarian Shield with Crow and Sun, late 15th Century

Source: British Museum, London
Museum number: 1881,0802.138
Description: Hussar shield, rectangular with a rounded-off upper right corner and of rounded horizontal section. It is made of wood, the exterior covered with gesso and painted vermillion with a white border decorated with a geometrical vegetal scroll, across the centre is a white band. It is painted with an inescutcheon of vermillion with a black sun with gold rays, a continuation of the white band and crest in the form of a crow in black with white flashes standing on a black scroll. The inside is painted white with a vermillion border and black spiral scrolls outlined in vermillion. At the front are two original buff leather straps joined by a spirally-bound leather thong forming the front hand-grip. At the centre rear is another nail retaining the base of two buff leather straps. Above the lower hand-grip are two additional nails for straps, now lost. Each of these nails originally had a large triangular washer on the outside, all but one of which survive.
Date: 15thC (late)
Made in: Hungary
Materials: wood, metal, gesso
Dimensions: Height: 77.2 centimetres (Highest point) Width: 52 centimetres Weight: 3070 grams

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