Kite or long heater shield made of wood covered with painted and gilt gesso, charged with the arms of the Villani family of Florence, from the Palazzo Guadagni, Florence, mid 15th century.

Shield made of wood covered with painted and gilt gesso on the outside and leather on the inside, charged with the arms of the Villani family of Florence, a "griffin rampant sable with a label of three points gules, within a bordure engrailed with gules" (Hayward:European Armour: "gules" is a heraldic term for red). The griffin is composed of thickly built up gesso painted black or dark blue set in a gilt gesso scrolled background. The border is indented with red dog-tooth patterns. According to the early museum records, there was no trace of an arm loop but three nails remained, presumably on the inside.

The South Kensington Museum bought this shield in 1865 for £40 from William Blundell Spence, a Fiesole-based English dealer who had acquired it from the Palazzo Guadagni in Florence. The shield originally belonged to the Villani, a family of prominent wool merchants, who from the 1470s were known for their hostility towards the Medici, the leading family of Florence of the day. By about 1600, Lorenzo di Pietro Villani (died 1617) dealt in silk in partnership with the Guadagni family, and this may explain how this shield ended up in their residence.

Historical significance: Parade shields like this example were ephemeral: they were made of cheaper materials and once they were no longer needed, they were usually dispersed or discarded. This example is therefore a very rare survival of an important part of civic life in the Italian city, that would have provided the leading families with prestige, the masses with entertainment and prominent artists with an important source of earnings.

Wooden shields like this example were used for parades, cavalcades and carnivals in 15th century Florence, rather than protection in battle, and were aimed to show off the prestige of a family. Although the Medici and their supportes were the leading faction for much of this century, Florence remained an oligarchic republic, where families vied with each other for honour and prestige. Large, prominetly displayed heraldic shields played an important part in this process.

A 19th century copy of the shield (111cm) offered at auction by Thomas Del Mar Ltd, London 7/12/2016, lot 641.

From the Palazzo Guadagni, Florence

This shield is emblazoned with a griffin, a mythical beast that formed the coat of arms of the Villani family of Florence, who made their money in the wool trade in the years after 1300. I The shield was made for display rather than protection and it would have been carried by family retainers at processions and pageants staged in the city at the time. Until the 1460s, Florence was an oligarchic republic, where various merchant families vied with each other for supremacy. The theme of this shield is heraldic and serves to emphasise the importance of this particular family.

3-1865