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decoration

North Italian, early XVth century

Collection: Signor S. Bardini

Italian, middle of XVth century

Victoria and Albert Museum

strongly reminiscent of Plate IV in Albrecht Dürer's famous "Apocalypse" of 1498. In the official catalogue this shield is also described as one belonging to the Hungarian Guard of Maximilian I. Mention of the so-called Hungarian shields of the latter part of the XVth century reminds us of that fine example in the Musée d'Artillerie of Paris, I 7 (Fig. 600), known as the shield of Mathias Corvin, King of Hungary—1458-1490. Here the shape is quite rectangular with the exception of the rounded corners; but there is a strongly developed convex central ridge, a ridge as pronounced as that seen upon