05-02-2007, 05:58 PM
Quote:Antonivs I have a photocopy of a few pieces sent to me a few years ago from Germania these pieces were found together hope its some use Regards Brennivs
Very cool- there's lots of talk about metal applique pieces, but rarely can sources or, more importantly, images like this be provided. The only other picture I've seen was of similar lightning bolts, but they weren't shown with a scale, fragments of edge binding or anything else that would link them to a scutum- this set of artifacts is rather different.
The only issue I have with the idea that such decoration was widespread, other than the rarity of artifacts, is that the whole job of a shield is to absorb blows from rather nasty weapons- I can't see sheet copper alloy elements surviving well. Paint one can touch up or re-do fairly easily, but metal pieces could easily end up looking, well, like those in the photo after just a single engagement. Of course the same argument could be used against the binding, but that seems to have been not uncommon, so maybe damage wasn't such a serious issue afterall...
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