Home

Works of Art

 

Works of Art

Arms and Armor: All

Work 19 of 50
Add to my Met GalleryAdd to My Met Gallery PrintPrint List ViewPrevious View
Tournament Shield (Targe), ca. 1450
German
Wood; H. 22 in. (55.88 cm) W. 16 in. (40.64 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Florence Blumenthal, 1925 (25.26.1)
This shield is painted with a coat of arms, probably that of the Gottsmann family of Franconia. The female figure at the side holds a banderole inscribed in German with the motto: "Hab Mych als Ich Bin... (Take me as I am). The decoration, with its brilliant colors on a silver-foil ground, is remarkably well preserved, as it was hidden for centuries beneath layers of later paint. On the leather-lined back of the shield are traces of a painted figure of Saint Christopher, protector of travelers