Shield with a Griffin's Foot and Shield with a Cock Held by a Moor c. 1480

Martin Schongauer created this engraving of two shields with a griffin’s foot and a cock in fifteenth-century Germany. Heraldry – the design, display, and study of armorial bearings – was a visual language of social status in this period, and Schongauer's image speaks to the importance of lineage and identity within the social hierarchy. Here, a bearded figure, possibly intended to be a Moor, holds up two shields. The shield on the left bears a griffin's foot, a symbol often associated with courage and military prowess. The one on the right features a cock, which can symbolize vigilance and courage. The image suggests an engagement with cultural otherness, with the figure of the Moor acting as a kind of intermediary. By exploring historical texts and records, we can decipher the meanings behind these symbols and understand how they functioned within the social and political context of fifteenth-century Germany. This image invites us to think about how art reflects and reinforces the complex interplay between identity, status, and cultural representation.