2523 - A late Gothic Austrian horseman’s hand shield with coat of arms, mid-15th century

A late Gothic Austrian horseman’s hand shield with coat of arms, mid-15th century A strongly domed wooden shield, covered on both sides with coarse linen. A semicircular cutout on one side for inserting the lance. On the front, a painted design on a chalk ground. Two three-dimensional stuccoed red lions facing right on a white background; the border is partially outlined in red. The surface is heavily craquelé. The reverse side has a dark ground. The raw-hide grip strap is torn off on the left side. Remnants of iron eyelets for attaching a carrying strap. Dimensions: 43 x 28 cm. The exact origin of the coat of arms has not yet been determined. However, this relatively rare depiction of striding (leopard-patterned) lions is reproduced in a similar form and color scheme on a mirror panel in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (Inv. Kunstkammer No. 3419). Condition: II -