A Knights Shield

A knight's shield is not a game; however, a knight does need his shield in order to play his game. I found this rather interesting about the development of a knights shield.

The Medieval Shields designs will be diversified about the middle of the 12th Century, when the triangular shield was introduced. The new form was obtained by reducing the arched top of the kite to an almost straight line. This variety of Medieval Shields was also bowed or flat. And, though the earliest examples were as tall as the kite-shields of the 11th Century, the triangular target soon became much reduced in its height.
The round shield is of more rare appearance. It appears that it was in frequent use among the foot troops.
The kite and triangular shields were provided with straps for attachment to the arm and for suspension round the neck.
Once we enter the 13th Century, the ordinary Medieval Shields designs were based on the triangular shield. Notably, the dimensions of the triangular shield of this century are decreasing as the century advanced. It was also bowed or flat.
Other formats of the period were the kite-shaped, the heart-shaped, the round, and the quadrangular. The boss is still retained in some of the shields of this century. The materials of the shields were "wood, leather, and painting".


The 14th Century is maybe the century of the most sophisticated Medieval Shields designs. The shields of this century offer diversity of form, material and ornament. The principal forms are the triangular, the kite-shaped, heart-shaped, the circular, and the notched. The triangular shield can be flat or bowed. The usual materials were wood, steel, and leather, the latter frequently embossed, and exhibiting the heralding bearings of the knight.
The kite-shield is of rare occurrence, as well as the heart-shaped one. The curved shield appears in the second half of the century, sometimes notched, sometimes plain. The round shield is of two kinds: that born on the arm, and that held at arm’s length. The enarmes, or straps by which the shield was attached to the arm, were placed either horizontally or vertically. The shield was suspended round the neck by a strap.