Saxon & Medieval — Late Medieval; 14th-15th century
Our Lady of Walsingham?
Pilgrim badge, possibly from the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham at Walsingham Priory. This flat, oval badge depicts the Annunciation scene (the moment when the Angel Gabriel announced to the Virgin Mary that she was to give birth to Christ). Mary sits on the left-hand side of the scene with a book open in front of her. This is a reference to the belief that Gabriel’s arrival interrupted Mary reading Isaiah 7:14, a verse in the Hebrew Bible, which was thought to foretell her virgin conception. Gabriel is on the right with a stylised scroll in front of him, which represents the words of greeting that Gabriel spoke to Mary. Between them is a lily growing out of a pot, which symbolises Mary’s purity, innocence and the immaculate conception of Christ.
The shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk was a popular pilgrimage destination in the medieval period, especially after Henry III made a series of pilgrimages there in the 13th century.
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- A4279
- Object name:
- Our Lady of Walsingham?
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Late Medieval; 14th-15th century
- Material:
copper alloy, brass
- Measurements/duration:
- H 32 mm, W 26 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.