Shields
About this product
About this collection
This collection covers 67 shield objects catalogued under Class V, delivered across 246 images in 12 ZIP assets. The shield is one of the oldest forms of personal protection in human history, and the Royal Armouries' holdings span an extraordinary range — from medieval heater shields through to the Renaissance buckler, the decorative parade shields of royal courts, and the functional shields of non-European traditions acquired through colonial and diplomatic channels.
Why it matters
Shields represent a distinct strand in the history of personal protection — the complement to armour, giving defenders a mobile, active protection that body armour could not provide. The Royal Armouries' 67 objects span five centuries and multiple cultural traditions, documenting the full range of shield design from the functional to the decorative, the military to the ceremonial.
Use cases & time to value
- Historical production design: Accurate period reference for film, game, and theatrical productions
- Arms and armour scholarship: Research into object typology, construction, and cultural context
- AI training: Labelled historical object dataset for recognition and classification models
- Publishing & editorial: Ready-to-license museum-quality imagery for books and journals
- Museum education: High-quality imagery for galleries, exhibitions, and public programmes
Data schema
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| object_number | string | Royal Armouries catalogue number (V. prefix + sequence) |
| object_name | string | Standardised object type name as catalogued |
| class | string | V (Shields) |
| period | string | Multiple periods |
| image_filename | string | Original filename as catalogued |
| image_format | string | tif, jpg, or bmp |
| width_px | integer | Image width in pixels |
| height_px | integer | Image height in pixels |
| file_size_bytes | integer | Uncompressed file size in bytes |
Collection stats
12 assets · 67 objects · 246 images · Multiple periods
Assets (0)
No assets found