Shield boss
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A shield boss, or umbo, is a round, convex or conical piece of material at the centre of a shield. Shield bosses are usually made of thick metal but may also be made of wood. The boss originally serve
A Lombard shield boss from northern Italy, 7th century (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Buckler
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A buckler is a small shield, up to 45 cm in diameter, gripped in the fist with a central handle behind the boss. It became more common as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat during the Medieval
Buckler front and back
Sword and buckler combat, plate from the Tacuinum Sanitatis illustrated in Lombardy, ca. 1390.