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Description: | An incomplete copper alloy figurative mount, from a composite pilgrim's badge, of Medieval dating (AD 1400 to AD 1525).The figurative mount is cast in copper alloy and is crescentic in shape. Describing the mount from left to right: There is a figure of a saint kneeling on his left knee. His hands are clasped before him in prayer. The remains of a flat ring just bordering the figure's head, probably representing a nimbus or halo is present. The figure is wearing a knee length coat or robe, with details of the draping visible on the lower body. A hunting horn is prominently shown, hanging on a cord from the saint's shoulder. Behind the saint is a horse, advancing right, with head looking backwards towards the saint and stag. The horse is cast with detail of the saddle on its back.The mount is openwork in the areas between the stag, the saint and the horse, as are the spaces between the saint's legs and the horse's legs. This openwork style would have allowed the design of a backplate to show through.The reverse of the mount has an incomplete integrally cast circular sectioned rivet which has been curved to form a loop. This loop is located on the reverse of the lower body of the saint. The loop would have been used to sew the badge to clothing.The mount measures 19.8 mm long, 17.0 mm wide and 2.1 mm thick. The loop is 5.5 mm long and 1.9 mm thick. It weighs 2.1 g.The mount is mid-green in colour. There is no trace of gilding on the figurative mount.A similar openwork figurative mount has been recorded on the PAS database as ESS-940232. That example was found with an enamelled backplate. Discussion: The pilgrim badge could represent St Hubert or St Eustace, both of whom saw a vision of a cross (or of Christ / Christ on a cross) between a stags antler whilst hunting. For St Eustace, this vision resulted in his conversion to Christianity, while St Hubert, who was already a Christian at the time of his vision, saw this as a sign to repent his sins. The iconography for St Hubert was copied from St Eustace (Spencer 1990, 54).Similarly shaped figurative pilgrim badges made from copper alloy have been recorded on the PAS database, albeit for different saints, such as BH-589BA2 (St Edmund) and GLO-BECDA3 (St George), although there do not appear to be any examples with similar backplates. St Hubert or St Eustace are depicted on numerous seal matrices on the PAS database, such as NCL-DDBF42 and HAMP-E1FF86.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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