Ghent Altarpiece/The Knights of Christ

[Alain de Navarre]

I was recently looking through Osprey's Knights of Jerusalem, about the Hospitallers, and at the very front of the book it had a picture of the Knights of Christ from the Ghent Altarpiece. As I was looking at the armor of the three leading gentlemen, I saw that they had some extremely unusable looking jousting shields on their shoulders, but the rest of the armor seemed true to period. I was wondering if it was common practice for knights on parade to have shields like this, or if they actually do have a use in combat? Is this just artistic license on the part of Jan van Eyck? Also, was there a particular name applied to this style of shoulder-mounted shield? If i just knew the name, I could look up the rest myself.

You can see the gentlemen and shields in question here on the altarpiece.

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Ghent_Altarpiece_E_-_Knights_of_Christ.jpg[/img]

[Kaos]

'Extremely unusable' you say?

Check these out:

Tournament shield, early 15th century


Renntartsche of Caspar von Ow, first half of the 15th century

[img]http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi07991e14a.jpg[/img]
Knight's targe with the Deggendorf heraldry, first half of the 15th century

[img]http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi07991f02a.jpg[/img]
Knight's targe with the Deggendorf heraldry, 15th century

[img]http://www.bildindex.de/bilder/mi10065d09a.jpg[/img]
Targe, Germany, mid-15th century

Many, many more historic examples to be found on: [img]http://www.larsdatter.com/painted-shields.htm[/img]

And here's a reproduction example of Arne with his barndoor:


When searching for these shields you can use the terms: targe, ecranche, tartsche. You will find many shapes and types.

[chef de chambre]

As has been pointed out, they are shields that are the norm (well, St. Georges shield is, the other has a bit more fanciful curl), not the exception, and they are quite commonplace in the context of the mounted joust.

They are more static defenses, not active ones, such as an earlier heater shield, generally hanging on the guige strap, and pretty much static on the bridal hand arm.

[Alain de Navarre]

Thanks to all for responding! You've really helped out my search for information on this topic.

[Karen Larsdatter]

More at http://www.larsdatter.com/painted-shields.htm too.

[Arne Koets]

unusable they are definately not, they aren't nessesarily easy to use.
the bouche does offer serious protection to you hand which is very nice.

their big curve is important, it allows you to have free reign use.

the direction of the bouche is really important and is dependant on thechnique.

the scrollwork seems to me like something they would have done.
the shields were usually covered in parchment or rawhide and then gessoed. this covering could easily be made extended into the decorative scrollwork and even be fairly tough.

[chef de chambre]

There are ones extant, of course, similar to the fellow to St. Georges left, but I have never seen anything as fanciful in an actual object, as that to his starboard.

It would of course rip away in use eventually, were it made like that, but as Antoinne of Burgundy had a cloth covered one, with florins nailed to it in such a fashion as they would move/spin/ flap on the shields face, made for the marriage jousts of CHarles the Bold and Margaret of York, that can't be taken as evidence that such a thing would not be made, because it would be quickly used up in use.

[Black Swan Designs]

Ecranches of this general shape are becoming rather standard equipment for the high end 15th C. joust crowd:









So yeah, the shield is definitely usable.

Gwen

[Baron Alcyoneus]

Part of the purpose is for the shields to move, and redirect the lance, I think. You don't eat the force of the blow.