The test is for a null hypothesis of the form “true
shape matrix is equal to the identity matrix”. Effectively, giving a
matrix as shape will produce a test of whether the true shape
is equal (in fact, proportional, since the scale of shape will
have no effect) to it. In that case the test will still be for
sphericity but the data is standardized beforehand.
References
Sirkia et al. (2009) Tests and estimates of shape based on spatial signs and ranks. Journal of Nonparametric Statistics, 21, 155-176.