Elkington And Co, Electroplated Facsimile, “the Italian Poets Shield”, Circa 1854.

Our shield is a brown-patinated electroplated facsimile by Elkington, based on the 16th-century Italian shield design "The Italian Poets Shield" by Antoine Vechte (1799-1868) for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Three examples are held at the Victoria & Albert Museum: REPRO.1854-44, REPRO.1854C-44, and REPRO.1854D-44. Note: An identical model with a double patina of gold and silver is currently on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collections. In 1854, the Victoria & Albert Museum commissioned Elkington & Co. to produce electroplated facsimiles of "The Italian Poets Shield" for use by design students and for commercial sale. The silver-plated and patinated copies cost £4.15. Three facsimiles of the shield remain in the Museum's collection: REPRO.1854-44, REPRO.1854C-44, REPRO.1854D-44.