A gun-shield from the arsenal of Henry VIII. 
Consisting of a circular, laminated wood shield with a breech loading matchlock gun mounted through a central iron alloy boss with a sighting grill above. Nine iron alloy plates and strips radiate from the boss to armour the front side of the shield.
The back of the shield is upholstered with yellow textile and a red pad stuffed with tow (hemp waste). Traces of a tassel fringe around the edge of the shield also survive. The remains of leather straps for the arm can be seen on the pad as well as three strap ends which may be for a longer strap and buckle called a guige on the upper half of the shield. A guige would be used to further support the shield around the soldier's shoulder or neck. The impression of a matchlock serpentine mechanism is visible to the right of the gun. A later ferrous cartridge made from a cut down pistol barrel was associated with this shield.

There are two distinct types of gun-shield, a version with a slender gun mounted in the upper part of the shield with no central boss or sighting grill and plates sometimes etched with Italianate decoration and a less refined and more heavily constructed gun-shield, like this example, where a large gun is mounted in the centre protruding from a boss with a sighting grill above.

These gun-shields are listed in the 1547 inventory taken after Henry VIII's death as targettes steild wt gonnes xxxv. They are thought to be of Italian origin as they were one of the inventions offered to Henry VIII in a letter of 19th March 1544 by an Italian painter Maestro Giovani Battista of Ravenna where they are described as several round shields and arm pieces with guns inside them that fire upon the enemy and pierce any armour.

Study and analysis has identified that the red and yellow upholstery on the heavier style gun-shields date from 1544 and are the livery colours of Henry VIII's household, issued for the first time in that year. Also that the heavier style gun-shields are possibly converted from plain shields, thus suggesting they maybe an English version of the Italian type of gun-shield.

The majority of the gun-shields (about 45) are preserved in the Royal Collection and at The Royal Armouries, the remains of eight were found on the wreck of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's warship which sank outside Portsmouth in 1545. A few  examples are now in other collections such as The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Chicago Art Institute, The Higgins Armoury Museum, Worcester and the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

Publications
Metcalf, S D, North, A, Balfour, D. 2005. The Conservation of a gun-shield from the Arsenal of Henry VIII. in Make all sure; the Conservation and restoration of Arms & Armour. Basiliscoe Press, Leeds.