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Pilgrim Badge with Saint Adrian
Lead badges such as this one were purchased by pilgrims as mementos of holy sites they had visited. Originally there were loops at top and bottom for the pilgrim to sew the badges onto a hat or cloak. This example represents Saint Adrian.
Saint Adrian holds in his left hand a sword and a banner, inscribed with his name: S. ADRIANUS. In his right hand, he holds an upended hammer on an anvil. These tools refer to the martyrdom of the saint, a 3rd-century Roman officer who, upon conversion to Christianity, was placed upon an anvil and broken by hammer blows. He stands on a lion, symbol of courage, and of Flanders, where this badge was made to commemorate the relic of Saint Adrian enshrined at Geraardsbergen.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Edward J. Waddell, Ltd. Gaithersburg, MD; Walters Art Museum, 1993, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2010-2011 | Treasures of Heaven. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The British Museum, London. |
Geographies
Belgium, Geraardsbergen (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 7/16 x W: 1 5/8 x D: 3/8 in. (8.8 x 4.2 x 1 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, 1993
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
55.102