Shield
Videos
A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry li
Zulu chief Goza and two of his councillors in war-dress, all with Nguni shields, c. 1870. The size of the shield on the chief's left arm denotes his status, and the white colour that he is a married man.
Wall painting depicting a Mycenaean Greek "figure eight", 15th century BC, National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Maasai warriors with their shields
Elaborate and sophisticated shields from the Philippines.
Targe
Videos
The targe is a type of strapped round shield that was used by Scottish Highlanders in the early modern period. From the late 16th century, until the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Scottish Highlander
Shield
…shields continued to be used by certain groups. In the 18th century, for example, Scottish Highland fighters liked to wield small shields known as targes, and as late as the 19th century, some non-industrialized peoples (such as Zulu warriors) employed them when waging wars. In the 20th and 21st century…
A Highland targe exhibited in the National Museum of Scotland
Charles Edward Stuart's highly decorated targe (1745)
Scottish reenactor wielding a targe