Large steel shield decorated with Christian symbols and Lati - Lot 441

Lot n° 441
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Estimation :
4000 - 6000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 10 550EUR
Large steel shield decorated with Christian symbols and Lati - Lot 441
Large steel shield decorated with Christian symbols and Latin texts in silver, mounted with brass rosettes and a leather cushion on the back. European oriental style, 17th century D. 56 cm Large shield of steel decorated with Christian symbols and Latin text in silver, mounted with brass rosettes and a leather hand cushion on the rear European in the oriental style, 17th century D. 22 in 306 CH Provenance : - Probus, November 13, 2006, lot 306 Convex in shape, the surface of the shield is decorated with silver inlay on a checkerboard background, with a central and outer border of foliage and floral motifs that appear to be inspired by 17th-century Indian motifs. The main body of the shield comprises four sections, each surmounted by the Latin words: Principe, Patria, FIDF, SIC PRU DEU(S). Under each of these titles is a pelican pecking its own breast to feed its chicks, a Christian symbol of self-sacrifice and charity. Below, two leviathans and, further down, the mask of a man, all in a complex arrangement of grotesque and hybrid figures, foliage and floral decorations. The four inscriptions refer to piety [pro deo (or: deus), loyalty to the sovereign (principe), civism (patria) and loyalty/faith in general (fide). In the center is a section left in reserve, suggesting that the shield has no umbo and has been replaced by a six-lobed central boss with a fine, collared bud-shaped finial. Around the perimeter, brass rivets hold textile remnants and ten brass rosettes applied to the face of the shield correspond to brass rings on the rear. The rear is covered in leather and features a central cushion covered in silk and stuffed with animal hair - the silk is now worn and covered with protective canvas. The number 2402 is painted on the lining and appears to be a 19th-century European inventory mark.
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