Pavise with the Arms of Winterthur and Saint George
c. 1440—c.1460
Medium
Wood, leather, pigskin, iron, gesso, and pigment
Dimensions
112.7 × 43.2 cm (45 3/8 × 17 in.)
Classification
shield
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
106393
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Units of crossbowmen used shields or pavises like this example to form a wall of protection while loading and aiming their crossbows. This pavise is part of a group that survived in the arsenal of the Swiss city of Winterthur. Pavises were the product of specialized shield makers who made the wooden forms and covered them in layers of animal-skin glue, canvas, and leather. Painters then added the colorful front-facing layer with the coat-of-arms of the city of Winterthur (on the left) and Saint...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...