The Witham Shield
- Gallery: Room 50
- Culture: Iron Age; La Tène
- Date: 400 BC - 300 BC (circa)
- Object type: shield
- Materials: copper alloy; coral
- Museum number: 1872,1213.1
- 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
This is The Witham Shield, a remarkable decorative shield from the Iron Age. It is made of copper alloy and was originally fixed to a wooden or leather backing. The shield features two roundels, a central spine, and a boss decorated in La Tène style, an art style known for intricate, wave-like patterns.
The shield's design includes repoussé and engraved detailing, with a noticeable shadow suggesting a boar-shaped figure once stood on its front. You’ll notice "snail-shell" bosses, engraved lines, and raised motifs like zig-zags and palmettes.
The central boss is richly ornamented with coral inlays and rosettes, arranged with precision. Some areas have delicate engraved scrollwork and open shapes that may once displayed contrasting colors. This shield is a stunning example of ancient decorative craftsmanship from around 400 to 300 BC, discovered along the River Witham.
See it in person
The Witham Shield is on display in Room 50 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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