another old ( I hope ! ) shield ! Ottoman piece ??
 

Hello everybody,

for this one I couldn't resist, ( always loved old stuff !)
and I already have it in my hands !

Looks like a mix between an old ottoman kalkan shield
( iron pieces and the handle ) and an indian dhal !

Maybe another ethnic origin ?

It's made of thick leather ( which animal ?) and pieces of iron.

18th-19th century ? or earlier ? or just looks like old ?

Anybody has an idea about the leather origin ?

Kind regards

other pictures...

glad if somebody give me advice about cleaning/restore it

this one not bad for see the convex form and the iron mounts...

Hi

mmmmm I would say a mix between a dhal shield and an Indian shield

;)

Afghanistan?

Hello,

Thank you for your message !

yes it looks like an indian dhal with his four bosses but I haven't seen one with this kind of central shape and the lateral iron '' stenghtening'' that make me think of other origin with this kind of central cross...

It's not a later ad, I put a ''close'' picture, it was made first, before the bosses have been fixed.

For the moment, I cleaned it with baking soda and special stuff against parasites / pests ( it was reeally necessary ! )
then a little oil on because the leather was cracked in many parts.

Change the color, not that bad,
we see a red skin under surface ( not transluscent, don't think rhino back )
maybe it will stay like that or becomes already lighter...

What do you think about all ? age, origin clenaing it more ?... :)

Kind regards

we see a red skin under surface ( not transluscent, don't think rhino back )
maybe it will stay like that or becomes already lighter...


is translucence in Dahl leather an indication of Rhino hide?

I will put up a pic of my "New" dahl this week
There seems to be a lot on shields at moment, interesting topic I would love to get a Zulu one, I am sure it will happen sometime!!

Regards

Ken

Hello ,
yes it ''usually'' will work , if the leather is thick enough and still translucent.

Just one more criteria, somebody can tell you that if you put a lightened torch behind your ear it will turn red too and we are not rhino's ;) ...

It has nothing in common with Ottoman materials, form
or construction. It is either N.Indian or Afghan, vers 1820-50

I would not rule out a tribal piece from the Caucuses. The Kev-Sur for example used iron bound hide bucklers, though theirs usually with a central boss.

Hello,

thank you for your comments !

North india and Afghanistan make me think of Balochistan and their shields.
I found this leather shield with the metal side but it's less raw than ''mine'' with his all iron structure...


The Khevsur people and their armor are really interesting,
I saw their small iron raw round dhal looking shield that made me think too that
''mine'' could come from some( where(?) ) in central Asia...

Another point: the leather; it seems all made of small hair-wool more than skin cells...

Seller told me hippo for the leather and indo persian origin...