Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 2).djvu/279



From the frescoes formerly in the Painted Chamber, Westminster Palace. After Crocker

but perhaps more especially so in Italy. Its construction and its medium were the same as those of the Norman shield, the method of its carriage was similar, and it is only in the character of its decoration that a change has taken place. But before mentioning any actual shields we give the illustration of the large kite-shape form in use, as portrayed in an English illumination of the early part of the XIVth century (Fig. 602). The monster-*man figuring in the initial letter from the illumination holds his shield, it will be noted, at an obtuse angle to his body, which it completely covers, leaving only the upper part of his head exposed. Though not a few fine examples of this XVth century Italian type are in existence, we will illustrate but three, all varieties of the type. Our first illustration shows a shield in the collection of Signor S. Bardini of Florence (Fig. 603), inscribed with the motto on a bend upon a scroll pattern ground, which was stated to be the motto of the republic of the town of Luoques [sic], according to an XVIIIth century inventory of the collection out of which it was purchased by Signor Bardini. This shield may be regarded as belonging to the first quarter of the XVth century. The arms of Lucca in Italy are a bend charged with the word "Libertas"; it is therefore obvious that "Luoques" is an old galicized form of "Lucca." Our second illustration (Fig. 604) represents a very fine shield in the Victoria and Albert Museum, modelled in high relief, gilt and painted with the arms of the Villani family of Florence; while our third (Fig. 605) depicts that