St. Barbara Pilgrimage Button Sign – Late 15th / Early 16th Century, Gothic, Medieval

Rare button-style pilgrimage badge made of a copper alloy, dating from the second half of the 15th century or the early 16th century.

Invented in the 13th century, buttons were long viewed with suspicion in the Middle Ages. Their innovative nature sometimes led them to be associated with objects of vanity, or even with practices deemed suspicious. Gradually adopted by all strata of society, they became not only common items of clothing but also objects of devotion. Buttons adorned with images of saints were thus sold at major pilgrimage sites and worn by the faithful as protective charms or devotional mementos.

This particular example depicts Saint Barbara, easily identifiable by the tower depicted to her left, a symbol of her martyrdom. The saint holds the martyr’s palm in her right hand and a book in her left. Her head is surrounded by a halo. The quality of the engraving is remarkable, with particularly careful attention to the drapery and iconographic details.

The object is preserved in excellent condition, displaying a superb glossy brown patina. As is almost always the case with this type of find, the attachment on the reverse has been lost.

Diameter: 3.7 cm.

A very beautiful example of popular devotional art from the late Middle Ages, illustrating the spread of pilgrimage insignia in original, portable forms, straddling the line between clothing ornamentation and devotional objects.

Price excludes shipping costs

Police Registry Ref.: A124

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