<a href="https://www.core77.com/posts/116991/Bizarre-Renaissance-Era-Armor-Accessory-The-Lantern-Shield">Core77</a> introduces us to a strange weapon from Renaissance Italy. The <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tools_of_War/jkk5DAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=lantern+shield&amp;pg=PT28&amp;printsec=frontcover">lantern shield</a> was a buckler--a shield that attached to the non-dominant arm of a swordsman. Such shields were common in that era. But this particular buckler, which can be found in a weapons museum in Austria, has additional futures.

Here's a view from the back. Do you see that bronze container? That held an oil lantern that projected light from an opening in the front. The lantern shield thus offered nighttime combat options.And if an enemy got inside the range of the user's sword, the user could push with the four spikes on the shield to deflate the enemy's attack.

YouTuber Skallagrim, an arms and armor enthusiast, analyzes the practical utility of the lantern shield. I'm skeptical of his assertion that it might be used by criminals, given the high cost of manufacturing such a shield. Perhaps, as he says later, it was intended to just look really cool. Photos: <a href="https://www.khm.at/en/visit/collections/imperial-armoury/" class="on">Imperial Armoury of Austria's Kunsthistorisches Museum</a>​#armor #weapons ​