General Construction
You may also like to view C. W. Phillips' 1939 account of the excavation of the shield.
General Construction
The shield was constructed with central a shield board of wood (probably lime) which was covered in leather on both sides. Attached directly to the leather on both sides were several cast elements including the winged dragon, the head and leg of the bird, the twelve animal heads around the rim on the front and the handgrips and extensions on the back. In addition patterned gold foil elements were mounted on thin pieces of wood (probably alderwood) which was then applied to the leather. The reconstructed shield measures 91.5cm in diameter.The construction and decoration of the shield is similar to that found on shields from Vendel and Valsgarde. Examinations of these shields were used to reconstruct the likely size of the Sutton Hoo shield and the likely distribution of decorative elements. All of the decorative elements are either cast from moulds and tool finished or stamped with dies into thin gold or bronze foil. The bird is a combination of both techniques. Both techniques also include additional punched decoration.
Front of Shield
Placement of elements on the front of the shield
At the centre of the front of the shield is mounted a large boss made of gilt-bronze iron. Evenly spaced around the flange of the boss are five ornamental rivet-heads. These rivets attach the boss to the shield board. The metal rim of the shield is decorated with twelve evenly spaced cast animal heads(of two types) facing inwards and interspersed with rectangles of gold foil stamped with at least two different zoomorphic designs. The animal heads and foil are attached to the rim by fluted clips and rivets.
Back of Shield
Sketch of Handgrips in place
On the back of the shield and set off-centre is an iron strip that forms the handgrip. It is highly decorated with gilt-bronze. Each extension terminates with a cast bronze animal head similar in form and decoration to the heads of the bird and dragon on the front of the shield. The back of the shield also includes metal fixtures for straps to both carry the shield and to hang it up when not in use.
Handgrips
The Shield Boss
Shield boss
The iron shield boss is dome shaped with an overall width of 21.5cm. The flange of the boss is 4.5cm wide and features the five hemispherical rivet heads interspersed with gilded bronze foil stamped with a design showing two pairs of interlaced horses. Most of the dome is covered with stamped foil panels. Attached to the top of the boss is a solid bronze disc which features a zoomorphic interlace design of five linked animal heads around a central field of garnet cloisonne work.
Detail of the design on the shield boss
The Bird
Bird design
The bird consisted of a cast bronze leg with a curved foot and a cast bronze head with a crest. The wing and bifid tail section consisted of fragments of gold foil mounted on an alderwood underlay. Unfortunately these were incorrectly reconstructed in 1945 and damaged in the process. Reproductions of these elements were constructed from photographs. Similar bird motifs are common on the shields of Scandinavian and northern Europe.The cast bronze elements were attached directly to the leather covering the shield. The impression of these elements survives in fragments of leather from the shield allowing the bird to be accurately placed so that the hip lies horizontally across the shield. The position of the foil elements was determined by matching up the rivet holes in the underlay with those shown in a 1949 photograph.
The bird's head is gilded and decorated with cloisonne work and garnets. The punched triangles and dots are identical to those on the flat section of the leg. The crest terminates with a backward-facing animal head with exposed teeth similar to the head of the winged dragon. The eye is made up of two concentric circles of twisted wire.
The bird's leg and hip are rounded and gilt. Both are decorated with a punch-work design consisting of several lines of triangles and dots along the edge. The design is continued along the talons and repeated on the bird's head.
Detail of the face on the bird's hip
The curved claws of the bird are tinned terminating with gilt nails. The hip section is decorated with a pear-shaped cloisonne face with garnet work. The eyes are of solid bronze while the mouth is inlaid with orange cuprite. The similarity of the design to the faces featured on the sceptre should be noted. The face is surrounded by a border of cells.
The Winged Dragon
Winged Dragon
The winged dragon was found in an extremely fragile condition although the decoration is well preserved. The head and body were cast seperately in bronze, the head attached to the body by a tenon joint and fixed with a single rivet. The narrow body is defined by a spiral design set with flat garnets from which three pairs of wings emerge. The wings are held flat against the body. The feet are similar to the wings but terminate in toes similar to those of the animals in the larger fields. The fields at the neck and between the third pair of wings are decorated with two and three strand interlaces; the neck section featuring cloisonne work and garnets.
Detail of the Winged dragon
The central fields are decorated with a tooled zoomorphic design. At first glance they appear to feature two animals when in fact the hindquarters of a single animal form the second head.The dragon was attached to the shield board by means of a single gilded rivet at the inner corner of the mouth (which is an integral element in the design) and the rivet behind the head which also joins it to the body.
Bruce-Mitford R 1978 The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Vol 2 The British Museum
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