Ghisi Shield
- Gallery: Room 2a
- Maker: Giorgio Ghisi
- Made in: Antwerp (city) (?); Italy (Mantua?)
- Date: 1554 (dated in inscription on shield front, on bridge)
- Object type: parade-shield
- Materials: iron; gold; silver
- Museum number: WB.5
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is the "Ghisi Shield," a striking example of Renaissance metalwork created in 1554. At first glance, you’ll notice its circular iron form, beautifully shaped in relief and adorned with delicate gold inlays and silver plating. The shield serves no practical purpose—it’s a parade shield, meant not for battle but for display.
At the center, a dramatic horseback combat scene is framed by a pair of male and female warriors. Surrounding them are four cartouches, each featuring a female figure representing ideas like Glory, Renown, Strength, and Prudence. Every cartouche is packed with tiny scenes from Homer’s Iliad and ancient myths, all delicately etched in gold. The rest of the shield is filled with playful decorative elements: satyrs, fruits, and intricate festoons.
This masterwork was crafted by Giorgio Ghisi, an Italian artisan known for his exquisite damascening—gold inlay—in the heart of Antwerp. It now stands as a lasting symbol of Renaissance craftsmanship and courtly artistry.
See it in person
Ghisi Shield is on display in Room 2a at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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