A Spahi

A Spahi; a cavalry soldier on horseback; in profile to left; a tuft of feathers on his pointed helmet and attached to his shield; on the shield a winged claw and flowers; from a series of 127 woodcuts. 1576

Previous Next

In "Hungarian style" tournaments, the participants wore Hungarian and Turkish costumes and used sabres to strike off feathers attached to their opponents' helmets and to the apex of their painted shields. The plume on this shield may indicate a similar Ottoman practice.

Back to Ottoman Soldiers from contemporary European Illustrations by Melchior Lorck
See also a Hungarian shield with a similar winged talon