Shields were used in battle by Plains men for protection. This protection was primarily supplied by the power of the images appearing on its surface, which came to the owner through a visionary experience. Before creating this shield, Humped-Wolf received a vision of a bull buffalo preparing himself for battle. The green band on its upper left section symbolizes Spring, the time for warfare. The black zig-zag lines drawn over the green band represent the paths of bullets deflected by the shield.