{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O93199"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93199/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP8276/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP8276/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AP8276","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O93199/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O93199","accessionNumber":"1574-1855","objectType":"Parade shield","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Round shields like this example were used in pageants and parades  throughout the cities of Italy, and the earliest surviving examples date from about 1500. From about 1450 or earlier, religious cavalcades and ceremonial entries into cities were modelled on Ancient Roman triumphal processions, and mythological and historical subjects were thought suitable subjects for the shields used in such parades. This example is decorated with Roman soldiers and classical <i> grotesques</i> (arabesque motifs with fanciful figures).  It is made of  <i>cuir bouilli</i>, a technique which involves moistening one small area of leather at a time and then working it with specially heated implements to create relief decoration.","physicalDescription":"Wood (unidentified, carved to a thickness of approx. 15mm), with embossed and tooled cuir bouilli leather glued over the obverse and reverse. The wood, apparently a carved out dish, higher than it is wide, has warped and shrunk irregularly. The obverse leather was apparently attached first, with the front leather wrapped over the edge, with some metal pins. A steel ring has been fixed to the reverse 35mm from the top.\n\nThe composition of the obverse is dominated by the large, central octagonal with a laurel border. Contained within are three male standing figures in Roman armour, on a wooden bridge with their feet in lapping water: Horatius Cocles (who, according to legend, saved Rome by defending the Sublican Bridge), with one hand raised, pointing upwards, flanked by Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius Aquilinus. A wide border contains, at the top, the seated female figure of Fame trumpeting (holding a plaque with the letters BP); at left and right, the standing figure of Hercules under a canopy with curtains. Below, in a curtained drapery, is the figure of a seated male figure, possibly Mars. Between these four figures are scrolling foliage, and female grotesque harpies, and pairs of putti fighting. The background to the leather is closely punched. Running around the outside is a laural border and an edge border of scallop or palmette. \n\nOn the reverse the narrow (50mm) border strip contains scrolling tendrils. The central, circular field, the middle of which is occupied by a plain rectangular strip (for a handle, missing), depicts at the top a round medallion with Marcus Curtius on horseback leaping into the abyss. Flanking the medallion are two flag-waving (and trumpeting?) sphinxes (head and torso of a winged woman, with the lower body of a lion). Below, in a medallion suspended by ribbons held by two mythical creatures (or drakaina, a woman with dragon body and wings), is depicted Mucius Scaevola, holding his hand in the flames. Scrolling tendrils fill the space between the upper and lower areas. The background to the leather is closely punched.\n\nModifications or losses\nOn the obverse, numerous splits. On the reverse, areas of loss to the leather, notably to the border at lower right, where a brown leafy material has been glued. Extensive splits and small holes. Whitish discolouration in some areas of leather.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"leather","id":"AAT11845"}],"techniques":[{"text":"tooling","id":"AAT53876"},{"text":"embossed","id":"AAT53826"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Embossed and tooled cuir bouilli leather, on wood ","categories":[{"text":"Ceremonial objects","id":"THES48981"},{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"},{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Containers","id":"THES48972"},{"text":"Leather","id":"THES49030"},{"text":"Medieval and renaissance","id":"THES271264"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AP8276"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"004","id":"THES305358"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Shield","id":""}],[{"text":"Parade shield","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Milan","id":"x29007"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"mid 16th century","earliest":"1525-01-01","latest":"1575-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"575","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"545","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"140","unit":"mm","qualifier":"max.","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Weight approx. 2.5kg"}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from departmental notes: 21 1/2\"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From published <i>Objects Acquired in the Year 1855</i>:\n'Shield. Leather, \"cuir boulli,\"circular, in high relief; in the centre a Roman general between two soliders; deep border with figures of Mars, Hercules, and Victory, Cupids fighting, and arabesques between; the inside also ornamented in low relief with classical subjects. <i>Italian</i>. 16th cent<sup>y</sup>. Diam. 21 1/2 in. Bought, 16<i>l</i>..'","historicalContext":"<u>Iconography</u>\r\nPublius Horatius Cocles was an officer in the army of the early Roman Republic who- with Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius Aquilinus - famously defended the Pons Sublicius from the invading army of Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Clusium in the late 6th century BC, during the war between Rome and Clusium. By defending the narrow end of the bridge, he and his companions were able to hold off the attacking army long enough to allow other Romans to destroy the bridge behind him, blocking the Etruscans' advance and saving the city.","briefDescription":"Parade shield of cuir bouilli leather, embossed and tooled with classical motifs around an octagonal cartouche, Milan (Italy), mid 16th century.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Günter Gall, <i>Leder im Europäischen Kunsthandwerk</i>, (Braunschweig 1965), fig 125 p169ff\n\n'One shield has long been in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (Fig. 125). The composition is dominated by the large octagonal central image and a surrounding border with inserted allegorical figures. The central image, framed by a bold laurel band, depicts Horatius Cocles, who, according to legend, saved Rome by defending the Sublican Bridge. The border strip, filled with putti alongside the allegorical figures, contains a depiction of Hercules on the side in a field highlighted by a canopy and curtain. Below, in a curtained drapery, there is probably Mars, and above, a trumpet player with the signature \"BP\" on his flag. The narrow border strip on the reverse merely displays tendrils. The central field, divided into two narrow fields by the broad handle, depicts Marcus Curtius leaping into the abyss in a round medallion at the top between flag-waving harpies. Below, between two tripartite mythical creatures (dragon, bird, human), Mucius Scaevola, holding his hand in the flames, is depicted. The front and back are decorated with legendary figures from ancient history, in which personal courage and individual achievement were particularly prominent.' So much for the conception of the London shield. Similar to the newly acquired Offenbach piece (Fig. 126) from the Nordic art trade [note 134]. The reverse is identical to the London piece in every respect, and the composition of the obverse is also identical to the London shield, except that the central image shows David with the head of Goliath before Saul, and the two side medallions show Heracles fighting the Nemean lion. The flag has the same signature \"BP\" at the top. The wreath with the putti playing with weapons and pieces of armour in the edge is grouped differently, and the canopies above the side medallions show different motifs. But all in all, there should be no doubt that both pieces were made by the same master, almost as if they were intended as counterparts. It should also be mentioned here that the German Leather Museum also holds a fragment of another shield, which is probably directly related to these two shields. It is a round central section of the obverse with a repetition of the David scene. The iconographic similarities in leatherwork from this period were already mentioned at the beginning. They suggest a possible initial comparison with Milanese metal shields. \nTranslated by V&amp;A curator, 2025\n\nAttributes the two (possibly three) shields to a Milan master active 1540-50; suggests that a large Milanese armour workshop is likely to have commissioned the leather shields or had them made in the workshop by an in-house leather master with the initials 'BP', at a time when under-employed scabbard makers were seeking commissioned work. Suggests that the obverse and reverse could have been made by different craftsmen. Relates the V&amp;A and DLM shields to several similar, but less detailed shields probably created in proximity to the BP master shields. Cautions against attributing similar shields to the same hand, noting that such pieces were probably made by different hands and over a relatively long period of time."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"J.F. Hayward, Victoria and Albert Museum: European Armour (HMSO 1965), no. 21 [front illus., captioned 'Parade Shield. Embossed and tooled leather. Italian; mid-16th century.'"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Mars","id":"N57"},{"text":"Hercules","id":"N179"},{"text":"Victory","id":"N30"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cupids","id":"x37689"},{"text":"Roman","id":"AAT20533"},{"text":"soldiers","id":"AAT185678"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1574-1855"],"accessionNumberNum":"1574","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1855,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Hayward, European Armour","id":"THES50701"},"number":"21"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-05","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-18","availableToBook":false}}