Victorian Silver Plated Electrotype Copy of Sigman Shield Elkington & Company, c.1880

An extraordinary and museum-quality Victorian silver plated electrotype copy of the celebrated Sigismund Shield, produced by Elkington & Co. at the height of their technical mastery. Elkington were at the forefront of the electrotype reproduction process, working closely with the major museums of Europe to produce faithful copies of the great masterworks of decorative metalwork, pieces collected and displayed by institutions and private collectors of the highest distinction. The shield is worked in exceptional detail throughout, its surface divided into concentric bands of classical figural scenes depicting gods, warriors and mythological beasts in high relief, with a boldly cast Medusa head boss at its centre. Presented in a polished wooden display mount, this is a piece of outstanding historical and decorative significance, representing Victorian craftsmanship and scholarly ambition at their very finest.