07-03-2009, 03:23 AM
Last week, just before we did our first event, I finally received a book I ordered a little over a year ago--Peter C. Bol, OF XVII, Argive Shields, from the Walter de Gruyter series of Olympia digs in German.
First, a little annoyance. This book contains more info on the aspis then all other sources combined. Why was it published in German? This is 2009, not 1890.
Okay, so yesterday I waded through it with a German linguist.
I recommend that everyone who plans to build an aspis buy a copy. It has more shields and bits of shields then all other sources combined, and then some, and it effortlessly slays all kinds of theories while, of course, asking more questions than it answers.
Okay, that said, let's look at the good bits.
This is exhibit A 244, plate 2
![[Image: 3683629098_2dee96f45b.jpg?v=0]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/3683629098_2dee96f45b.jpg?v=0)
Note the remnants of fitted, narrow boards that bed into the rim. this is the "boat-hull" construction I've talked about elsewhere. Some unhelpful academic in the Cambridge History of the Archaic managed to mis-identify this fragment as being the shield at Baden, which cost me 6 months of research time, but you'll see the Baden shield later.
Here's a nice smoking gun on the subject of Porpax and Antelabe placement.
![[Image: 3682816531_7432fe47b4.jpg?v=0]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/3682816531_7432fe47b4.jpg?v=0)
Note that, as the mounts are riveted through the wood and into the face of the shield, every mount can be placed wherever the owner wishes. In fact, now I have several examples of antelabes placed away from the rim. Sorry--that means there's no reason to ever place a porpax off center. Also note that the porpax and--the band of bronze that runs top- to bottom on most shields ont he line of the porpax--is the binding strap that holds all the boards together, and thuis it would be even more unlikely that a workman would place it off center and risk some of his boards warping. That shile dband isn't decorative, at least int he early times (550 BC).
Finally, many of the porpaxes and antelabes are formed quite simply of sheet bronze. Here's a photo the illustrates how thin and how well worked.
![[Image: 3683629312_3f53aa4450.jpg?v=0]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/3683629312_3f53aa4450.jpg?v=0)
Almost every inch of bronze on every fitting and surface is extensively repoussed, as noted earlier in this thread. Now, again--these are the best sheilds of their generation, or they wouldn't be at Olympia! But the decoration is staggering.
First, a little annoyance. This book contains more info on the aspis then all other sources combined. Why was it published in German? This is 2009, not 1890.
Okay, so yesterday I waded through it with a German linguist.
I recommend that everyone who plans to build an aspis buy a copy. It has more shields and bits of shields then all other sources combined, and then some, and it effortlessly slays all kinds of theories while, of course, asking more questions than it answers.
Okay, that said, let's look at the good bits.
This is exhibit A 244, plate 2
Note the remnants of fitted, narrow boards that bed into the rim. this is the "boat-hull" construction I've talked about elsewhere. Some unhelpful academic in the Cambridge History of the Archaic managed to mis-identify this fragment as being the shield at Baden, which cost me 6 months of research time, but you'll see the Baden shield later.
Here's a nice smoking gun on the subject of Porpax and Antelabe placement.
Note that, as the mounts are riveted through the wood and into the face of the shield, every mount can be placed wherever the owner wishes. In fact, now I have several examples of antelabes placed away from the rim. Sorry--that means there's no reason to ever place a porpax off center. Also note that the porpax and--the band of bronze that runs top- to bottom on most shields ont he line of the porpax--is the binding strap that holds all the boards together, and thuis it would be even more unlikely that a workman would place it off center and risk some of his boards warping. That shile dband isn't decorative, at least int he early times (550 BC).
Finally, many of the porpaxes and antelabes are formed quite simply of sheet bronze. Here's a photo the illustrates how thin and how well worked.
Almost every inch of bronze on every fitting and surface is extensively repoussed, as noted earlier in this thread. Now, again--these are the best sheilds of their generation, or they wouldn't be at Olympia! But the decoration is staggering.
Qui plus fait, miex vault.
