pavise

thumb|Soldiers shooting guns through holes in stationary shields (pavise), Ming dynasty, from the Shenqipu, 1598

A pavise (or pavis, pabys, or pavesen) was an oblong set-shield used during the mid-14th to early 16th centuries. Often large enough to cover the entire body, it was used by archers, crossbowmen, and other infantry soldiers on the battlefield as primarily stationary cover.