Arnold of Briens. The monastery was founded at the end of the XIIth century, probably in 1197; and inasmuch as Arnold died about the year 1225, the date of the shield should be put somewhat anterior to that year—in all probability within the first ten years of the XIIth century. It is composed of lime wood covered with parchment, and was originally distempered blue, with the addition of a rampant lion in silver, the details of the animal
being of gesso duro modelled in slight relief. The whole is now in a dilapidated condition, but it still gives a fair idea of the general character of the XIIth century shield. It, however, possesses no boss, which was a distinct feature of the early Norman shield; it is also rather short and flat. Six other shields of this type and of about this period are known to the present writer, two in Hesse, an example in the County Archaeological Museum, Valeria, about 1300, a shield in the Tyrolean Landesmuseum, Innsbruck, about 1320, and two in the Royal Armoury, Madrid (D 59 and D 60).
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a (outside) b (inside) Fig. 98. Shield known as the Sitten shield, reputed to have belonged to a noble, by name Von Raron, about 1300 From the County Archaeological Museum, Valeria The Hessian shields are both in the church of St. Elizabeth at Marburg. Our knowledge of their existence is owing to their illustration and description in Herr Hefner-Alteneck's famous Waffen, ein Beitrag zur Historischen
