Shield Boss

probably Turkish

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 380

This steel component, known as a boss, would have covered the center of a shield. It served both to protect the user's hand and to stabilize the wound-and-wrapped cane construction typical of Ottoman shields. Missing the original body, this boss—with its central spike surrounded by fluted channels and delicate tracery—now resembles a smaller shield.

Shield Boss, Steel, probably Turkish

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Overall, front