Lot 544
A Highland Targe or target
Auction: 17 August 2009 at 15:00 BST
Description
the thick brown studded leather cover is decorated with a boss centred on a four armed star, the boss is of brass decorated with a hexafoil surrounded by two bands of guilloche, each arm of the star shows tooled interlace, between the arms of the star are two pairs of roundels each separated by two tooled triquetras, two of these roundels have complex, and two have quite simple interlace, the reverse is covered with deer hide, now virtually bald and has a leather arm brace and hand grip, with original spike, length 12 1/2"
Dimensions
20 3/4" in diameter, weight - approx 7lbs
Footnote
References: The targe bears a similarity to that illustrated in Drummond's 'Ancient Scottish Weapons' Plate II illus 4, except for differing decoration between the arms of the star.