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General Category => Army Research => Topic started by: Howard Fielding on October 29, 2020, 01:13:47 PM

Title: Ancient Indian "pronged" Bucklers?
Post by: Howard Fielding on October 29, 2020, 01:13:47 PM
Shown in the WRG book on Macedonian and Punic wars, there is an Indian buckler with "prongs".  Duncan speculated that it was possibly used for weapon catching/breaking, IIRC.

I'm wondering if more information has come to light since publication.

Does anyone know of a name for this type of shield?

Are there online sources or pictures? Is there an example in a museum somewhere?

I just did a Google search but I guess my Google-Fu is weak at the moment. I can find pictures of the bell shaped Maurya shields, and Moghul shields, but not this more exotic form.
Title: Re: Ancient Indian "pronged" Bucklers?
Post by: Duncan Head on October 29, 2020, 01:47:24 PM
I think it might have been the one carried by the central figure on this relief (https://fl.thgim.com/magazine/rn5a33/article30193332.ece/alternates/FREE_240/20071102504206405jpg) from Amaravati - from here (https://frontline.thehindu.com/arts-and-culture/art/article30193352.ece) - though that is a bit smaller than I remember.
Title: Re: Ancient Indian "pronged" Bucklers?
Post by: Howard Fielding on October 29, 2020, 07:04:41 PM
Thanks for the reply! It took me a while but I finally found a higher resolution image as part of a PDF.

A cropped version of the image attached.

Title: Re: Ancient Indian "pronged" Bucklers?
Post by: Howard Fielding on October 29, 2020, 07:08:51 PM
I also had an interesting time browsing through stupa carved panels from various sites. And stumbled on a display walk-through from The Museum in Mumbai, about Indian small coastal craft and their construction.  8)