Pilgrim badge

Typically made of lead alloy, they were sold as souvenirs at sites of Christian pilgrimage and bear imagery relating to the saint venerated there.

For example, St Thomas Becket was martyred at Canterbury Cathedral in England in 1170 and his body remained there, becoming the epicentre of an enormously popular cult.

The pilgrim souvenirs associated with his cult have a particularly diverse array of imagery, including that of his shrine, his head reliquary and scenes from his life.

Their badges bore images that were iconic and easily recognisable, such as the scallop shell, the Adoration of the Magi, the St Peter or the Jerusalem Cross.

Pilgrims had long sought natural souvenirs from their destination to commemorate their trip and bring home some of the site's sanctity.

Pilgrim badges were cheaply mass-produced, cast in moulds made of bronze, cuttle-bone or limestone, or, less frequently, by die-stamping.

The quality of pilgrim badges varied considerably, with some being naive and crudely made and others displaying great craftsmanship and skill.

Ampullae, vessels for holy water or oil, were harder to make than badges, necessitating a process called slush casting.

As artists became increasingly fascinated by illusionism or the trompe l'oeil technique, representations of pilgrim badges painted into the margins of prayer books appear.

[5] There are some suggestions that pilgrims could request food from people living along the pilgrimage route, with shell-shaped badges being used to measure out portions small enough they could be donated without leaving the donor short.

It has been suggested that this is because medieval pilgrims believed that the badges would bring good luck if they were thrown into water, however that theory is now contested.

[10] The images are frequently related to iconographic types found on monumental artwork, showing how mobile iconographies were across media and social spheres.

[12] Erotic badges showing winged phalluses or vulvas dressed as pilgrims are prolific, although their cultural significance is still debated.

A modern, authentically made replica shows how shiny lead alloy souvenirs would have looked when they were bought by medieval pilgrims. Made by Colin Torode, Lionheart replicas. Image by the Digital Pilgrim Project.
4th-7th century clay pilgrim flask or ampulla. Pilgrims used ampullae like this to carry water or oil from the pilgrimage site for Saint Menas: a late-third-century Egyptian Roman soldier who was martyred for his Christian faith. He is shown between the two camels who returned his body to Egypt for burial
A medieval cast lead alloy monogram of Maria pilgrim badge. The badge is in the shape of a Lombardic 'm' with crown above. The crown is formed of three projections; the two outer projections are trefoil and the central is a single collared knop. The outline of the 'm' has a beaded border and in the gaps between the columns of the 'm' the casting seam can be seen. The reverse of the badge is plain; the catchplate has survived intact but only the stump of the pin remains
This badge represents the ornate head reliquary of St Thomas Becket and was probably sold near his shrine in Canterbury