Fontainbleau School. Middle-second half of the 16th century. Pageant Shield. Steel. Chased. Made in the 1550s for King Henry II of France (1547-1559). His initials and those of his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, are in the shield's border. The chased composition depicts the Medusa surrounded by fantastical beasts. Sketch by the French engraver Etienne Delaune (1518-1583). Detail. Knights' Hall. The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg. Russia.
Fontainbleau School. Middle-second half of the 16th century. Pageant Shield. Steel. Chased. Made in the 1550s for King Henry II of France (1547-1559). His initials and those of his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, are in the shield's border. The chased composition depicts the Medusa surrounded by fantastical beasts. Sketch by the French engraver Etienne Delaune (1518-1583). Detail. Knights' Hall. The State Hermitage Museum. Saint Petersburg. Russia.