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I guess that the answer is yes, since the eidolon cannot wear armor of any kind, but nothing is specified about using a shield. Of course, you would have to give him the proper feat(s).
I have another question however. If you give a weapon to your eidolon, does that weapon disappear with the eidolon when he's killed, or does the weapon remain on the material plane, simply lying on the ground where the eidolon was killed? Normally, the eidolon would drop his weapon when he falls uncouscious, like any other character, so I doubt that the weapon would travel to the eidolon's plane, but my question remains.
Eidolons are not proficient with either armor, or shields based upon their entry in the APG. With that said:
Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he is not proficient takes the armor's (and/or shield's) armor check penalty on attack rolls as well as on all Dexterity- and Strength-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for shields.
It sounds like your Eidolon needs some mithral! A heavy steel shield has a penalty of -2, but making a shield out of mithral reduces that to -0.
It sounds like your Eidolon needs some mithral! A heavy steel shield has a penalty of -2, but making a shield out of mithral reduces that to -0.
Or, you could just give shield proficiency to your eidolon as his 1st level feat. :)
I've wondered if the "no armor for eidolons" rule included shields or not. Sometimes, "armor" seems to include shields, too (monks have an AC bonus "when unarmored", which is later clarified to include shields; class descriptions have a section for "weapon and armor proficiency", not "weapon, armor, and shield proficiency"), other times it doesn't. Usually, it explicitly says shields, so I assume they can use 'em, if they pick up the feat.