The Woodward Shield
- Gallery: Room 1
- Made in: France
- Date: 1540-1550 (circa)
- Object type: buckler
- Materials: iron; gold
- Museum number: OA.4710
- 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.
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About this object
Before you is "The Woodward Shield," an iron buckler crafted in France around 1540–1550. This circular, concave shield is centered by a grotesque mask with a hole in its mouth—an original space for a spike. The front is decorated with repoussé, a method where metal is hammered from the back to create a relief image. It shows the ruins of Rome burned by the Gauls and balances where gold is weighed for a ransom.
Notice the gilded traces and the ornate clasp remains on one side. Inside, the shield has a riveted patch and a band of iron along the rim. Scholars suggest it reflects historical accounts by Livy and Plutarch, sparking 17th-century debates about antiquarianism. Its complex imagery and craftsmanship make it a curious object bridging art and history.
See it in person
The Woodward Shield is on display in Room 1 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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