Collection Online
Search the Collection 搜索M+藏品
M+, Hong Kong
Unknown (Hong Kong) 佚名（香港）
Police rattan shield 警用藤牌
1960s–1970s
This black police shield is made of rattan that spirals concentrically to create a large round disc. Bamboo handles are attached at the back. Rattan is light, flexible, and durable, which makes it effective in fending off blows during combat, and it has been used to make shields for centuries. It is an inexpensive material, and police shields like this one were produced both by rattan manufacturers and by the Industries Unit of the Hong Kong Correctional Services, a workshop in which incarcerated individuals are trained to make commercial goods. Rattan shields were used by the Hong Kong police in the 1960s and 1970s, including during the riots in 1967, which were held in opposition to British colonial rule. Rattan was eventually replaced by fibreglass in the production of police shields, in order to maximise officers’ vision and protect against liquid and fire.
Loading