Shield Boss and Grip late 4th century Western European, Gallo-Roman (found in Vermand, France) The boss, or umbo, was originally attached over a hole in the center of a circular or oval wooden shield and protected the hand of the person holding it. The shield was carried by the grip, which was riveted across the hollow center of the shield on the inner side. These objects come from the tomb of a military official in Vermand, France, an area known in the fourth century as Gaul, which was then a province of the Roman Empire. Other finds from the same tomb, including a belt buckle, a decorative plaque, and the fittings from a spear shaft, are displayed in one of the Metropolitan Museums galleries of early medieval art.. Shield Boss and Grip. Western European, Gallo-Roman (found in Vermand, France). late 4th century. Iron, silver, gold, glass. Vermand. Miscellaneous-Ironwork