Kite Shield

Large kite-shaped shield of the Norman knight

The kite shield was a large shield used by European knights from the 10th to 13th centuries, characterized by its distinctive shape — rounded at the top and tapering to a point at the bottom like a kite. Standing 100-120cm tall, it protected the mounted knight from shoulder to knee, ideally suited for cavalry charges where the left side needed full coverage. Famously depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry showing Norman knights at the Battle of Hastings (1066), it was the predecessor of the smaller heater shield that replaced it as plate armor improved in the 13th century.