Eglinton Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland saw a substantial jousting tournament in 1839.

It was attended by 100,000 people and boasted the Earl of Eglinton himself, alongside visiting dignitaries such as Prince Louis Napoleon of France.

Naturally this required some high quality armour, and amongst the helmets, weapons and breastplates were 40 shields made by Samuel Pratt of Bond Street, London.

Eight of these have now come up for auction with estimates of £3,000-5,000.

The pieces are in the classic shield shape (straight across at the top; curving to a point at the base) and the decorative heraldry is divided up into rectangular and triangular blocks.

The 1839 jousting tournament was a success, though some participants may have been tempted to use their shields as umbrellas, as the weather was said to be particularly dreadful.

The shields are on offer after being discovered in Skelmorlie Castle, Ayrshire, and the sale takes place on Wednesday, at Edinburgh based auctioneer Lyon and Turnbull