Shield Robert the Bruce

Product description

The shield is painted in the heraldry of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland. This legendary king defeated English King Edward I at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 after years of campaigning, reclaiming Scottish independence.

The knight's shield, or heater shield, developed around the end of the 12th century from the Norman kite shield. Heater shields get their name from Victorian historians, who associated the shape of the shield with a Victorian flat iron. These shields were considerably smaller than the earlier Norman kite shields, offering less protection to the left leg but being much more manoeuvrable. At the beginning of the 13th century, heater shields were employed alongside the large Norman kite shields. Later, only heater shields and bucklers were utilised. These shields were used on the battlefield until the 14th century and continued to be used afterwards for tournament purposes.

The shield is crafted from plywood and measures 69 x 41 cm.