Spanish Colonial Adarga

An adarga, or hardened leather shield, was part of a soldier’s gear on the Spanish Colonial frontier. Thin strips of rawhide were used for construction and decoration. The shield form was originally introduced to Spain from North Africa in the 13th century.

This type of shield, copied from the Moors, came with the Spanish during their colonization of the Americas in the 16th century. The name Adarga comes from the Arabic daraqa or Al-daraqa meaning shield. While this type of shield was most common during the 14th–16th centuries, it continued to be used by soldiers in New Spain until the early 19th century. Frontier soldiers were tasked with carrying an escopeta or short flintlock musket, pistols, a lance, and the adarga.

This example was found behind an adobe wall in New Mexico in the early 20th century. It is missing its original strap handles but has a thin, rawhide strip for carrying. It is made up of three layers of hardened leather, which have been sewn together with thin strips of rawhide. The rawhide was also used to make decorative patterns in the shield. The front of the shield featured painted red decoration including a cross surrounded by a circle in the center. The same design is echoed on the back in rawhide pieces. The shield has been cut in two places, one of which extends all the way through the leather. This might have been from a sword or lance thrust.