Coats of Arms on Unusual Shields
Posted: 26 Apr 2014, 14:43
As I am ultimately (several centuries, if not a millennium or two) of middle eastern ancestry, I have often thought it would be appropriate to display my arms on a round shield, and to use an "antique" helmet in a full achievement. Were I to have even an ounce of artistic ability in my body, I'd probably create one myself. Another possibility for an unusual shield type would be the pavise. With its "tombstone" shape and central ridge, a pavise might be a good choice for displaying the palewise key in my arms.
In general, I wonder why differently shaped shields are not used more often, to evoke an ancestral tie or for other reasons. For example, the hoplon of the ancient Greeks, which is often depicted as round, but can also be oval, and may have a large notch on one or both sides. Another interesting type would be the oval shields with points on the top and bottom which were used in fairly significant parts of sub Saharan Africa, perhaps most notably by the Zulu and the Maasai.
In general, I wonder why differently shaped shields are not used more often, to evoke an ancestral tie or for other reasons. For example, the hoplon of the ancient Greeks, which is often depicted as round, but can also be oval, and may have a large notch on one or both sides. Another interesting type would be the oval shields with points on the top and bottom which were used in fairly significant parts of sub Saharan Africa, perhaps most notably by the Zulu and the Maasai.