Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/274

 FRENCH PAGEANT SHIELDS

In Chapter XXVIII of the third volume, and again when we illustrated the Colbert casque (ante, Fig. 1264), we discussed at considerable length the works of a certain unknown French armourer. It would be wearisome to re-*capitulate our surmises about his work and his school. But inasmuch as this particular armourer was exceedingly prolific in the production of pageant shields we shall illustrate eight examples, which either were his own actual work, or were produced under his direct influence. Four are of the circular rondache order, three are kite-shaped; while one is more directly under the Italian XVth century influence as regards form. Of the three circular ones none can equal that superb example in the Royal Armoury of Windsor known formerly as the Cellini shield (Fig. 1317). This shield has for over fifty years been reputed to be a work of that great Italian artist. We need hardly say that there is no valid ground for ascribing it to him; on the contrary, all goes to disprove the theory. No true record exists as to how the Windsor Armoury became possessed of this treasure; but when Her Majesty Queen Victoria lent this shield to a loan exhibition at the Ironmongers' Hall, Mr. G. R. French, who described it for the catalogue, states, but we cannot find on what authority, that "During the Rebellion the shield in question was stolen from the Royal Collection, and was not restored until the reign of George III, who gave three thousand pounds for its recovery." It is traditionally said to have been presented by François I to Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in 1520. These ambitious attributions, however, hardly tally one with the other; for if the shield were made by Cellini, and given by one Sovereign to the other on that memorable field of Ardres, Cellini would have been but nineteen years of age when he produced this masterpiece, about which time he was working out his apprenticeship with the Florentine jeweller, Antonio Marcone. It may therefore be considered quite misleading to continue to attach the name of Cellini to this fine example of parade armour. But, as a matter of fact, so unlike that master's work is it, and, indeed, so assertively later in style and workmanship that the appellation remains a mere label; while by adhering to its old name no difficulties can arise as to its identity, for it has a European reputation, and has many times been described and written about, always under the heading of "The Cellini