Arabian armours
The Arab armies of the Middle Ages favored speed, agility and discretion (kings of the ambush, they preferred for example to ride mares, which whinnied much less than stallions, or even geldings) to brute force. All their equipment was therefore geared towards lightness. The shield is thus often round and curved, made of braided wicker reinforced with wool or silk threads with a metal circle in its center to reinforce its solidity. On the ceremonial models, much more decorated than those reserved for strictly military use, there are often four screws on the metal circle, allowing the attachment of richly worked balls, often made of precious stones and metals. However, the use of chainmail and helmets was just as common among Arabs as among Westerners throughout the Middle Ages.