Round Targets

Soldiers with round targets
Front and back views of early round targets in a copy of the Chronicle of Otto of Freising ThULB Ms. Bos. q.6 fol. 10v (painted at Hagenau in Alsace, 1157-1185) https://manuscriptminiatures.com/5832/22737

After the large flat centergrip round shields fell out of use in the 11th century, round shields continued in use. Most of these were probably called targes, targets, or bucklers depending on size. Targes are carried by Norman infantry in Wace's Roman de Rou line 7698 (written between 1160 and 1175) and a "strong round targe" or fort targe roïe is worn by a French horseman with a hauberk in the Chanson d'Antioche line 1270 / lay 52 (reached its final form between 1170 and 1250, compare lays 321 and 357). The Roda Bible from Catalonia (BNF Latin 6 (2) Biblia Sancti Petri Rodensis) shows soldiers with medium-sized round shields and kite shields in the late eleventh century.

Targets are hard to study since they were not glamorous like knightly shields or fashionable accessories like bucklers. Most surviving targets date to the 16th century and later and were preserved in armouries and collections of art.

Here are three types of round target which I see in illuminated manuscripts from roughly 1335 to 1355, so contemporary with the student who died in 1347

Table of Contents

  1. Round Shields with No Bosses
  2. Round Shields with One Boss
  3. Round Shields with Pairs of Bosses
  4. Miscellaneous
  5. Edits

Round Shields with No Bosses

Soldiers with round targets
BNF Français 22495 https://mandragore.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cgfbt48344d

These are usually basically circular. It seems plausible that these were worn on the arm by straps like a later rotella or Scottish targe.

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Round Shields with One Boss

Soldiers with round targets
BNF Arsenal 5080 Speculum Historiale fol. 259v (Paris, 1335) https://manuscriptminiatures.com/5203/16862

These are usually more or less circular. It seems plausible that these were held in the fist like a buckler although we rarely see the backs and the boss could be vestigial.

The Oldsaksamlingen in Oslo, Norway has a collection of big bucklers from around the 13th century. They range from 35 to 48 cm in diameter, plus another from a shipwreck off Knösen, Sweden, which was around 53 cm diameter (schmidt-medieval-and-renassance-buckler pp. 85, 187-181). They are tapered with the wood about twice as thick in the centre as at the edge. A thread with comments by people who have seen them in Norway is https://myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=2830. There is another 'great buckler' of willow or poplar wood from Amsterdam with a diameter of 43.5 cm in nicolle-medieval-warfare-sourcebook vol. 1 p. 133 (possibly WOODAN 16343000 or Province of North Holland Object 52128). For more information see schmidt-medieval-and-renassance-buckler.

  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C126 (Gimsøy, Telemark, Norway). Conservator Vegard Vike gives slightly different measurements of 39.3 to 40 cm in diameter depending on where he measures it, as well as details of the iron fittings which he reproduced (Armour Archive 2003).
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C954 (Rike, Norway)
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C1568 (Åmli, Norway)
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C9982b (Korsødegården in Hedmark, Norway: boss and board survive but handle and boss-spike are lost) (schmidt-medieval-and-renassance-buckler pp. 360, 361)
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C30707 (Gårdås farm, Buskerud, Norway)
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C23952 (Skøgoy, Telemark, Norway: only the iron parts survive)
  • Kulturhistorisk museum, Oslo, object number C31924 (Eidskog Church in Hedmark, Norway: only iron parts survive)
  • National Museum of Denmark object 869
  • National Museum of Denmark object 870
  • London Museum, object BWB83 https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/v/object-329496/shield-buckler/
  • London Museum object 13.214 (described in tatton-brown-excavations-customs-house-1973

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Round Shields with Pairs of Bosses

Soldiers with round targets
BNF Arsenal 5080 Speculum Historiale fol. 259v (Paris, 1335) https://manuscriptminiatures.com/5203/16862

Large versions of these shields are often oval in shape and sometimes have six bosses. Smaller shields of this type usually have four bosses and are approximately circular.

These seem to be the shields which were very popular in the Persianate world from 1400 to 1900. If so, they probably have the same grip system with a quilted strap or rope passing betweeen rings behind the bosses (the Met lists them under dhal (Indian) or sipar (Persian), the Royal Armouries prefer separ (Persian) and kalkan (Ottoman or Kurdish), Royal Armouries XXVIA.71 still has its guige or baldric). The arm could pass between the straps and the shield to wear it on the arm, or the hand could grip two pairs of straps at once. Having both options was good for Persians who used horn bows and sometimes shot with the shield on their left arm and the bow in their left hand.

Národní knihovna ČR, Czechia, manuscript CNM XXIII.C.124 Velislavova Bible fol. 076v (Prague, 1325-1349) https://manuscriptminiatures.com/4465/10704

We see the same grip system on a pointed oval shield in this Bohemian manuscript. Roland Warzecha and Jan Kohlmorgen have thoughts on the many different ways to strap a European clothesiron-shaped shield.

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Miscellaneous

Buckler in MET 54.1.2 The Hours of Jeanne d’Évreux (Paris, 1324-1328) https://manuscriptminiatures.com/4575/14730

Las Huelgas Apocalypse, fol 149v (Iberia, 1220) has round shields with three tassels https://www.themorgan.org/collection/Las-Huelgas-Apocalypse/41

In general, round targets seem most common in medieval art from Iberia, France, and Italy.

For the likely construction methods see Shields, Targets, Pavises.

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Edits

2024-03-27: Added links to the Dutch buckler care of Roland Warzecha, Choosing a Buckler for Your Training

2024-04-08: Added the Suetonius MS.

2025-07-02: Added list of extant wooden bucklers and information from Schmidt and Warming

2026-02-12: Added details about more finds in museums

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created and copyrighted on 2022-06-25 by S. Manning ~ last updated 2026-02-14

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