The Battersea Shield is a wonderful example of Celtic art in the La Tène style. It has been dated to the Iron Age around 350 to 50 BCE. The shield was found on the north shore of the Thames River in 1857 during the excavations for the predecessor to the current Chelsea Bridge. It was probably made in Eastern England for ceremonial purposes.
Made from four sheets of bronze with three decorated round panels and highlighted with 27 red glass studs in four sizes, the shield is 777 mm long by 357 mm wide. The bronze was originally the covering for a wooden shield that has rotted away before the excavation.
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