The iconic shield of the Scottish Highlander, the Targe in conjunction with the basket-hilt sword are among the most celebrated symbols of Scottish resistance and nationalism. The targe has a long history in Scotland, and unlike most shields it was not discarded as firearms began to dominate battlefields. Instead the Scots used them in earnest, for the targe could not only block blade and bayonet, but it could deflect some musket bullets and stop grapeshot in its thick wooden frame. The targe doubled as a weapon, for many had a center boss spike making shield bashing potentially fatal. Many Scots concealed a dirk behind the shield to give a grim surprise for an unaware foe. In their 18th century conflicts with England, the Scots would adorn their targes with the red cloth and brass buttons of fallen English soldiers. After the climactic Scottish defeat at the Battle of Culloden, the English banned the targe in an attempt to weaken the Scots Gaelic culture.
This Targe is hand-crafted in Seattle by Douglas Shaffer. It is made from quality hardwood plywood and covered with full grain cowhide on the front. The hand-tooled, highly detailed leatherwork has been made in the form of a knotted water horse (kelpie), a hippocamp like creature of the mythical highland. It is also filled out with 8 differing forms of the Celtic Triquetra design.
The boss is hand-hammered and the nail studs are set by hand. The backing is padded animal hide and fur. Thick leather straps are affixed for the arm and hand and an integrated holster holds a 6 7/8 spike. This spike can be screwed onto the central boss after removing its brass nut for an easy conversion to the fearsome spiked targe. A strap and ring are riveted into the backing so that the targe can be easily hung on a wall.
rdanicic@dlrgroup.com –
its beautiful and the craftsmanship is impeccable. you get pretty much what you see here…only differences from the site pictures are small details:
1) mine didn’t have the dughlas moniker on the forearm strap
2) the strap you hold with your hand actually has leatherwork patterning on it (nice bonus).
3) there’s a second buckle strap at the bottom of the shield back, just above the spike sheath (another bonus).
the hide hair on the back is random (this is good as mine had a spot of white hair which i was hoping for).
well worth the money as an art piece.