The Mughal aesthetics are reflected in its weaponry. This shield, which belongs to the first quarter of eighteenth century, is ornately decorated with inlaid gold decoration on its rim and knob. The subject depicted on the border of the rim shows the ruler who is accompanied by his attendants’ aims with his rifle, gallops on a horse with a lance in his hand or attacks a furious lion. The hunting scene depicts dynamic movement with dogs and tiger jumping on their prey and an aggressive elephant trampling with a broken chain in its rear foot. The outer border contains stylized floral and leaf motifs characteristic of the period of Mughal Emperor Aurengzeb Alamgir. The central knob of the shield bears an intricately engraved landscape with architecture and rock formation. The profuse ornamentation of this shield suggests that it was likely a royal object.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Shield with Hunting and Landscape Vignettes
Date:second half 17th century
Geography:Attributed to India
Medium:Steel; with gold overlay
Dimensions:Diam. 21 11/16 in. (57.7 cm)
Classification:Arms and Armor
Credit Line:Fletcher Fund, 1976
Object Number:1976.176.3
Shield
Depicted in illustrations to the Akbarnama, highly ornamented weapons produced in the imperial Mughal silahkhana or armory were prized not only as ceremonial objects, but as functioning weapons for warfare and hunting. Manucci, the seventeenth century Venetian adventurer relates that some shields were of such exceptional quality that they were given names such as Roshani-i-alam or "Light of the World".
A rotating spiral of watered steel forms the body of this convex shield. The technique of watered steel, thought to strengthen a weapon, was produced by an alternating welding and folding of hard and soft iron creating a range of patterns. Here, minute whorls or "pools" cluster over the surface in random configurations.
Further embellishing is achieved through the use of koftgari, a form of damascening which employs both single lines and larger expanses of inlaid gold or silver. The central boss, worked in minute detail, reveals four scenes (perhaps suggesting the seasons) of alternating hillocks, bodies of water, waterfowl, a pavillion and trees. Six additional bosses, disguised as multi-petalled flowers, fasten handles and straps on the inside of the shield.
Two bands of alternating floral and vegetal motifs frame a narrative band of scenes of the Mughal hunt. Interspersed with vignettes of grazing and cavorting deer, lolling lions, weapon-wielding mounted riders and feasting birds of prey, a trained cheetah captures an antelope, a hunting dog followed by his trainer grasps a small animal by the neck, a seated emperor or prince shoots a matchlock steadied by an attendant and a rushing elephant mounted by a mahout tramples over a man who has fallen from his mount.
The underside of the shield is lined with a satin-weave brocade of gold, red, and blue. A pillow-like knuckle guard of cut and stiched leather, red and green velvet is affixed to loops which fasten two padded handles.
Rochelle Kessler in [Walker et al. 1994]
Marking: Tickets on interior: "HEE OBE" and "Mughal 16th–17th century 654"
[ Howard Ricketts, London, until 1976; sold to MMA]
Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "Romance of the Taj Mahal," December 17, 1989–March 11, 1990, no. 177.
Toledo, OH. Toledo Museum of Art. "Romance of the Taj Mahal," April 28, 1990–June 24, 1990, no. 177.
Richmond. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. "Romance of the Taj Mahal," August 23, 1990–November 25, 1990, no. 177.
Mexico City. Colegio de San Ildefonso. "Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York," September 30, 1994–January 8, 1995, no. 111.
Pal, Pratapaditya. Romance of the Taj Mahal. London; Los Angeles: Thames and Hudson, 1989–1991. no. 177, pp. 162–63, ill. (b/w).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Daniel S. Walker, Arturo Ponce Guadián, Sussan Babaie, Stefano Carboni, Aimee Froom, Marie Lukens Swietochowski, Tomoko Masuya, Annie Christine Daskalakis-Matthews, Abdallah Kahli, and Rochelle Kessler. "Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995." In Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994. no. 111, pp. 266–67, ill. (b/w).
Alexander, David G., and Stuart W. Pyhrr. "in the Metropolitan Museum of Art." In Islamic Arms and Armor. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015. no. 45, pp. 124–25, ill.
Reddy, Ravinder. Arms & Armour of India, Nepal & Sri Lanka: Types, Decoration and Symbolism. London: Hali Publications Limited, 2018. p. 167, ill.
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Met's collection of Islamic art is one of the most comprehensive in the world and ranges in date from the seventh to the twenty-first century. Its more than 15,000 objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions from Spain to Indonesia.
