Secular Badges
Secular badges were popular in the medieval period as either lover’s tokens or livery badges. All of the badges below are accurate copies of surviving pewter artefacts. For information on the history of secular badges please refer to the ‘History’ section of the website.
S23-Fox and Goose Badge
This unusual badge, depicting a fox dressed as a pilgrim with pilgrim’s staff and scrip and apparently taking a goose for a walk seems to draw on popular medieval proverbs and follies for its inspiration.
The fox was regarded as the archetype of cunning and deceitfulness, while the goose was a proverbially foolish bird. Here the fox seems to have tricked the goose by disguising itself as a pilgrim and is presumably leading the goose to its ultimate fate!
Original found in the Netherlands.
14th century.
46x46mm A fox dressed as a pilgrim leading a goose.
The fox was regarded as the archetype of cunning and deceitfulness, while the goose was a proverbially foolish bird. Here the fox seems to have tricked the goose by disguising itself as a pilgrim and is presumably leading the goose to its ultimate fate!
Original found in the Netherlands.
14th century.
46x46mm A fox dressed as a pilgrim leading a goose.
Price:
£6.50
Add to Shopping Cart:
Hosting and Website Maintenance by
Random Digit
