tour 5 of 6
War and art in Iron Age Britain
Battersea Shield
The Battersea shield is not in fact a complete
shield, but only the facing, a metal cover that was attached to the
front of wooden shield. The elaborate design is highlighted with
twenty-seven framed studs of red enamel (opaque red
glass).
The shield was not
made for serious warfare; it is too short to provide adequate
protection. The thin metal sheet and the complicated decoration
would be easily destroyed if the shield was struck by a sword or
spear. Instead, it was probably made for flamboyant display. The
highly polished bronze and glinting red glass would have made for a
great spectacle. It was finally thrown or placed in the River
Thames.