Heater shield

The triangle sign (also V- sign, engl. Heater shield or heater -shaped shield ) is a high medieval shield type, which developed around the mid-13th century from the dragon shield.

There was an increasing reduction in the area of the kite shield. This can be the one attributed to a quest for weight reduction, on the other hand, the armor had changed dramatically. So Greaves and Helm had arisen. These innovations made ​​the enormous size of the kite shields (50-75 % of the body size of the wearer ) superfluous. The triangular shield covers tasks ranging from the shoulder to about the knee, thus offers so moving and view space. Due to its large width, it protects almost the entire upper body.

Triangle shields were made ​​of thin wood and covered with leather. Some, such as the resulting copy of Edward of Woodstock in his grave in the cathedral of Canterbury, were coated with additional layers of gesso, linen and / or parchment. The shield shackles were either two vertical or cross -loaded leather straps were nailed from the front through the shield. Between arm and shield there was a padding made ​​of various materials to cushion the impact of a shock.

From the smaller triangular shield the rider the concave Reitertartsche that eventually lead to a small fixed to armor plate ( Stechtartsche ) on the left breast of the tournament armor ( Gestechrüstung ) developed in the 15th century.