constructing and mounting a porpax

[Kineas]

Thanks!

I think tat it once was bronze--but after looking at hundreds of shields in pottery and sculpture,and reading several descriptions (for instance, Pausanias description of the inside of Athena's shield in the Parthenon) I cam e to the realization that they were painted--often elaborately painted--on the interior--often along the lines that had once been bronze, and then sometimes with whole scenes. I can cite some examples if you like. I went for a single line because (I blush to admit this) I realized after the execution that I needed to have planned and done the interior design BEFORE the porpax went in. Oops... next time, I'll do the floral pattern I had meant to do inside, for which that simple black line was supposed tobe the border. Sigh...

As to the four rope-holders (what are they called?) I placed them to tie my bedding to them and make a pack frame of the shield--that's my "experimental archaeology" take on their post 550 BC purpose...

[Kineas]

Final note--at least until I install a bronze edge in the spring.

So far, the aspis has now endured seven hours of mock combat. I count all the hours, as I have one of the first three shields in my group and it has been on someone's arm every fight!

There's never been any damage that went past the paint. After the application of a very inauthentic (but invisible) varnish from tri-art 'Top Coat Hard" [url:39cnb0wl]http://tri-art.ca/en/products/finestquality/mediums/[/url] which leaves an attractive finish that is, so far, impermeable to damage. It's not cheap--$60 a bottle US--but a bottle will do at least ten aspides and if you plan to smack your shield around, or into another aspis in the phalanx, I recommend this product.

Final note--a caveat. The product says that paints under it must be fully cured. They aren't kidding! When this stuff dries, it will pull uncured paint right off the medium. Beware!

Aside from that, it's great.

[Athena Areias]

Nicely done! I am inspired to push mine along a little.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Sure,there certainly were painted interiors,as you said,some of them very elaborate. At least one or two boeotian grave stelae show griffins and such desighns painted on the interior. But I don't remember geometric designs and since such cercular bronze re-enforcements have been found,evidence points to that way. Which-I repeat- doesn't mean anything about the authenticity of yours,and in facts it adds to the overall impression.
As far as I know,the rings have never been mentioned in greek literature thus they don't have any specific name other than,"rings" or "fittings". So,you won't tie any rope on them?
Khaire
Giannis

[Kineas]

Sure, as soon as I get some flax-rope as opposed to manila or sizal. I drove past the place today and forgot. Arrggh.

[Lorica]

Kineas and I spent an exciting day yesterday attempting to get my porpax finished enough to mount. There was some minor irritation regarding leather linings and what not but we got that mostly sorted.
Kineas has done a lot of the mounting work without me today (as I have to be at work) and I know there have been a few setbacks.
The design of this one is quite different from our first. Hopefully I can get Kineas to post some photos. I have chosen to use a much simpler design (you know what they say about shoemaker's children)
Instead of the palmets on either end it has trapezoids. A shape that can be seen on a lot of the vase paintings of sheild interiors. We chose to make the washers out of 1/4 quarter inch brass stock and they cover entirely the porpax's trapezoids. However, apart from the tremendous use of metal, they are a little impractical in the mounting department so we probably won't do that again.
On the next one I plan to have a small washer that extends just to either side of the connection point between the strap and the mounting pieces. A more historically accurate depiction from what I have seen. I'll try and find an image to show.
Another difference which we are experimenting with is making the strap double layered in bronze sheet to help strengthen the connection point. This means that we don't need the non detachable leather liner which we have used in Kineas'. (which we think is not historically accurate)
In terms of the detachable leather liner (and this is a shot in the dark) Perhaps they were completly seperate from the sheild and attatched to the arm (with a lace perhaps) This is just an idea, as I can't think of a way to attatch a detachable liner to the porpax itself.
A lot of technical description in this post. Hopefully I will soon have photos to make it clearer

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

A photo could make things much simpler wink:
There is a unique(in many ways) shield whos porpax was attached with hinges. This was Philip's guilded shield. I hope you've seen this thread?
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic. ... ax&start=0
Unfortunately,the two first images i had posted were those of philip's shied and are now gone,because the hoplitikon site where i had taken them from is down.
I don't know if it will make any sence but I think there were two half circles probably of bronze,whos ends were secured in the permanent porpax placements. The bronze whould be covered with felt or leather so the two parts would be connected,but the whole thing would be flexible. Its flexibility would allow you to pass it through the porpax and secure it in place. When you passed your arm in the porpax the whole system was unmovable.
If you didn't understand anything I'll try to make a drawing or smth.
Khaire
Giannis

PS. I see you haven't read my PMs yet...

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

OK,i found the image. See the hinges? When i saw the photo I was excited because I thought I found one detachable porpax. When I went in Vergina and looked closely I was excited in a different way,because i was clear that the hinges were placed in the incide of the porpax and were used to attach and detach the lining. But i have to say this is a unique find. Another shield found in the same tomb had the typically detachable porpax lining,and actually portion of the lining still in place.

Khaire
Giannis

[Lorica]

This is just tremendous. I can see why you were excited. I'm really interested in what all the bronze strapping around the propax mount itself is. Is it just decorative? Or could it be an important structural part of the shield itself? I wish I knew more about how the aspis itself was actually made. Do you have any sources to recommend on that?
But indead this is just stupendous. The craftsmanship is superb. Are there actually three layers of bronze underneath the porpax mount or is it just chased lines that creat that effect?
With all the rivets it would be immensly stable. And it would be relitively easy to replace the porpax strap istelf when it wore out.
All I can say is, super cool!!

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

The other shield foun in vergina which i mentioned earlier is this one
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/C ... d/thin.jpg
You can see the round placements where the lining was secured. In the upper part of the thin iron porpax has a somewhat square wider portion. It's too dark to see it in this photo,but this was part of the preserved lining. Although I spent several minutes looking closely at it,I couldn't be sure if it was leather of fabric.
Khaire
Giannis

[Lorica]

Fascinating.
Having read your previous thread, it seems to me the porpax placement is a somewhat complex issue. We are making our shield blanks of varriying sizes. Tailored if you will to fit the poeple whoe are using them. Mine has a thirty inch circumference. ( I am only five foot 2) Kineas' has a 34 inch one. If the porpax is not very tight poeple with different arm lengths can use each others shields. I have fought with Kineas' on a number of occasions. It just means that the porpax sits on a different part of the arm. I agree that it is quite difficult to tell about placement from vase paintings, as we can often see a great deal of perspective warping. I really want to experiment with balance now. I had taken it for granted that a centered porpax would be better balanced and therefore more comfortable but perhaps that depends largly on how your shield is fit to you and how long your arms are.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

The shield itself was constructed buy putting planks of wood together and then giving shape with a lathe. At least this is how the only surviving examplenow in the Vatican museum was constructed. Please do a search here on RAT and you'll find much detail. The straping system was probably additional aid to keep the planks together. Actually the typical vertical archaic straps of the porpax must had exactly that purpose,as they were separate from the porpax itself. Now this shield has not only vertical but also horizontal straps and also a circle,much like the one Kineas painted on his shield! And all these are pure gold,not bronze. I can't remember if these were separate layers under the armgrip,but most probably yes. One thing not very visible from this pphoto is that the straps were sculpted with different godesses and animals. But this was the case with some archaic porpakes,too.
Khaire
Giannis

[Kineas]

So... is it your view that the arm loop would attach via a pair of pins and "hinge flanges" that match the flanges on these fittings/

Nifty system. Totally doable./ it looks like the hinges are actually iron.

Just want to point out that the whole thing is gold--hence decocrative. I'd contend that after about 550 BC the interior fittings and bronze bands were decorative, but it'll take my decades to prove my contention. I think that the shield design changed...

Anyway, that's the coolest piece of evidence I've seen.

Can you illustrate the other detachable porpax?

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

OK,I'll try to illustrate the other,though i fear it may be tricky to show what I have in mind.
I don't think even the gold straps were decorative. They were closely riveted on with more rivets than even the simpler bronze stipes. And the gold had a decent thickness. If nothing else,one could lift the shield that didn't have a bronze cover,BUT it was all covered in ivory and gold in the front,and actually there were whole sculptures if ivory and guilded ivory in the front! Sure it must have been ceremonial,but this doesn't mean it was not usuable.
The pins in the hinges apear iron indeed.
Also,there is no evidence that the shield design changes,especially after 550 bc.Sculptures show them exactly the same till the 4th and perhaps 3rd century bc. The construction may had varied but even for this there is almost no evidence other than speculation.
Khaire
Giannis

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

OK,here it is. I hope it's clear.

The fact that the leather-felt part is soft ensures that you can pass the meta parts through the armband and secure them in place. There haven't been found any such bronze attachment,which could mean that instead of bronze they were made of other perishable matterial. Perhaps something softer,like hardened leather or sinew or wood,whatever.
And the ancient http://www.flickr.com/photos/schumata/6 ... 336867030/
And the vatican shield

I was hoping I would be the first to try and prove my theory,but alas,I hope you figure it out because for me it will take ages
Khairete
Giannis