18 C. Ottoman Kalkan Style Buckler

“Kalkan” refers mainly to large conical shield constructed from wicker structure, which were common in the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire for high rank officers and as outstanding parade shields. But kalkan also refers to a later small hand bucklers of similar construction, a combat shield intended to protect the Ottoman warrior hands against a sword blow. It is believed that the flexibility of the wicker construction will absorb most of the power of a sword blow.

The 18 C. Kalkan buckler offered here is constructed from a spiral wicker wrapped with a colored cotton thread and mounted between a central conical boss and a steel rim reinforced with 28 radial steel ribs fastened with dome shaped rivets. The conical central piece is quite a scarce form. Most of similar bucklers has a dome shaped central piece.

The handle is made of braided leather strips split to three branches on each side riveted to the frame. The inner surface of the buckler is covered with brown color velvet fabric. The whole outer face of the buckler is mounted with many brass token likes imitation coins.

Diameter 9 inches (23 cm). Height 5 1/2 inches (14 cm). Very good condition to age. Nicely patinated steel parts. Very few tokens and rivets missing.  Losses to the fabric covers. Authentic buckler of unusual shape. 18 C.