This shield belongs to a rare group, examples of which have been found at Tsaparang in the Ngari region of western Tibet, and in Phyang Monastery in the Ladakh region of northwestern India. The iron fittings on these shields are extremely similar to those on some types of Tibetan leather arm guards, horse shaffrons, and furniture, especially leather trunks and boxes.
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Artwork Details
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Title:Shield (phub)
Date:possibly 14th–16th century
Culture:Tibetan
Medium:Cane, iron, brass
Dimensions:Diam. 29 7/8 in. (75.9 cm); Wt. 8 lb. 12.9 oz. (3994 g)
Classification:Shields
Credit Line:Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2001
Object Number:2001.55
[Jeremy Pine, London, by 1995–2001; sold to MMA].
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions 1991–2002," September 4, 2002–January 18, 2004, no. 43.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet," April 5–July 4, 2006, no. 24.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Tibetan Arms and Armor from the Permanent Collection," December 13, 2007–April 29, 2012.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet," September 16, 2024–January 12, 2025, no. 67.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Defensive Display: Shields from The Met Collection," May 12, 2025–Ongoing.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Recent Acquisitions, A Selection: 2000–2001." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, (Fall, 2001), p. 83, ill.
Pyhrr, Stuart W., Donald J. La Rocca, and Morihiro Ogawa. Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions, 1991–2002. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002. p. 46, no. 43, ill.
La Rocca, Donald J. Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006. pp. 6, 14, 15, 19 (n. 41), 92–94, 102, 118, 142, 205, no. 24, ill.
Behrendt, Kurt, Christian Luczanits, and Amy Heller. Mandalas: Mapping the Buddhist Art of Tibet. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2024. pp. 178, 235, no. 67, ill.
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