Annunciation scene

Part of a pilgrim badge depicting the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation (the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she was to give birth to Christ). All that remains of this badge is the figure of Mary from the shoulders downwards. She clasps her hands in prayer at her chest. The Virgin was thought of as the Queen of Heaven and a universal protector. Most churches had an image of the Virgin Mary as a focus for worship and some cult figures became pilgrimage sites, attracting visitors from beyond their local area. It is uncertain where this badge of the Virgin and Child was produced – there were many cults of Our Lady in medieval England and abroad. The Annunciation was depicted on many of the badges from the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.