A LARGE CHINESE CIRCULAR CANE INFANTRY SHIELD (TENGPAI), QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

A LARGE CHINESE CIRCULAR CANE INFANTRY SHIELD (TENGPAI), QING DYNASTY, 18TH/19TH CENTURY of domed coiled cane wrapped with slender bands of rattan (the central boss missing), reinforced rim, the outer surface painted with a stylized tiger mask in black, white and red pigment, with the character wang between the eyes, and the inside with remnants of fittings for enarmes (small losses) 88.5 cm; 34 7/8 in diameter Charles William Wason described the shield corps in his Reminiscences of 1922 as follows: '.....[the cane shield corps] knew their business better than the soldiers.....they came on in pairs, each man carrying a shield and matched with another man with either sword or spear. They manoeuvred round and round the enclosure, cutting' and parrying. Gradually the men with the shields worked round the men without shields, and encircled them. At this juncture about forty or fifty mounted soldiers came galloping in, and tried to attack the shielded men in order to save the surrounded men. The shielded men at once fell flat on the ground and began to roll and roll towards the horsemen. This was supposed to be a deadly attack upon the horses, and the latter retired. At the same time the men inside had got out, and so ended the attack......' A related example is preserved in the Royal Armouries Leeds (inv. no. XXVIA.56). See Bennett 2018, pp. 30-33.