There are two types of Celtic Sheilds, the Warrior Sheild and the Yetholm Sheild. The Warrior sheilds are on the left hand side of the photo and the Yetholm sheilds are on the right. These shields are individually hand painted and measure 3 and 1/2 inches across.
The Warrior Shield was inspired by the Ardagh Chalice one of Irelands finest pieces of art. The symbols in the shield are symbols of protection which were used on the shields of warriors in the years gone by. The chalice was discovered in September 1868 by two men digging potatoes in a ring fort at Reerasta, Ardagh.
Yetholm shields were used in 1200-800 BC (Bronze Age). The known shields come from Britain and Ireland, excepting one from Denmark. Their modern name comes from Yetholm in southern Scotland where a peat bog yielded three examples of the approximately 20 known. The shields vary significantly in size, but are otherwise similar. The impressive shields would have indicated high social status. Rock carvings from this period made in Southern Scandinavia include depictions of shields decorated with concentric rings or rings of dots.
