Wording This phrase confused me on first reading Surfaces like shields both those used in tournaments and those hung as decorations were more durable Somehow I thought that shields meant a protective coating like lacquer over the painting like glass in a picture frame You meant a military shield used in combat like Aragorn in Lord of the Rings knights in shining armor trying to slice or skewer each other with swords Maybe re casting this sentence from the passive voice Like Knights decorated their shields with oil painting instead of tempura because