I've got a little nook in my house and thought it was the perfect size for a sword display.

So I decided to dress it up a bit.

First, my two custom swords from Rob Miller on the Isle of Skye:

I've posted these before, but it's been a while for the first one. It's based on a typical late 12th century sword. That's a silver coin inlaid in the pommel, and the blade is L6 steel.




Etched down the blade is Revelation 6:8 in Welsh: "Behold the pale horse, the man who sat on him was death, and hell followed with him."




Sword number two is very similar.. same type of design, though the handle is a bit shorter and wrapped in a darker wire. The etching on its blade is 1 Corinthians 15:26, "And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."




I decided there are no better inscriptions for instruments designed to chop people's heads off


So after the swords, what better to hang them on than a shield? Store bought shields are so boring these days, so I decided to make one. It's just basic pine from Home Depot.



Got it all carved up, painted it black, now for the details.

I chose a rampant lion which is a symbol that has been associated with my family for some time. I can't quite find the origin of it, but when my great grandpa moved here from Scotland, he brought with him a piece of parchment bearing this lion. Over the years the stories have been sort of muddied, so all I can really get is his father gave it to him and so forth. The significance of it, I have no idea. But, I rather like it regardless. I had my artist friend paint it on for me.




Then we added a gold leaf border, and some gold and silver leaf accents: