Trellised Targe for the Tilt

Unknown

ca. 1550–60 · Steel, gold · Arms and Armor

In keeping score at tournaments, the heralds awarded extra points if a lance struck solidly enough to break. The raised trellislike bands on this tilt targe were intended to catch the lance, making it more likely to shatter. The areas within the trellis are finely etched with an inventive menagerie of real and fantastic animals, including a lion, a horse, a griffin, and an imperial double-headed eagle.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1550–60

Medium

Steel, gold

Culture

German, Augsburg

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1904