08-15-2006, 09:09 PM
On the matter of emblems on shield covers, some of the Valkenburg shield covers featured decorations in the form of leather appliques or stitch holes where such decorations had previously been sewn on. Some appliques have also been found detatched from their covers and I believe some of these are embellished with decorative stitching.
One cover also features a very well defined impression of a frontal re-enforcing bar, suggesting either that it was pressed against the shield for a very long time or that the leather had become saturated and was then pulled more tightly over the shield, thus stretching it over the re-enforcing bar and moulding the shape into it.
It is also likely that shield covers had a limited lifespan compared to the shields they covered, as most of the finds which have been interpreted as parts of shield covers (the Valkenburg covers being the exception here) are worn fragments which have been cut off when the the leather was being recycled into something else. I do have a number of drawings but I have had to agree not to pass them on to anyone, which would include posting them on RAT or sending them as e-mail attachments.
Crispvs
One cover also features a very well defined impression of a frontal re-enforcing bar, suggesting either that it was pressed against the shield for a very long time or that the leather had become saturated and was then pulled more tightly over the shield, thus stretching it over the re-enforcing bar and moulding the shape into it.
It is also likely that shield covers had a limited lifespan compared to the shields they covered, as most of the finds which have been interpreted as parts of shield covers (the Valkenburg covers being the exception here) are worn fragments which have been cut off when the the leather was being recycled into something else. I do have a number of drawings but I have had to agree not to pass them on to anyone, which would include posting them on RAT or sending them as e-mail attachments.
Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers. :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:
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