Two Pilgrim Badges of St. Adrian in the Cloisters, October 2009

Two Pilgrim's Badges representing St. Adrian
Lead alloy
South Lowlands, 1460-80 and 1480-1500, respectively
Probably from the abbey of Saint Adrian at Geraardsbergen, East Flanders

Accession Number: 1996.260.1, .2

Saint Adrian of Nicomedia was a former Roman soldier martyred for his christian beliefs by having his limbs smashed on an anvil. His relics were translated to Geraardsbergen in 1175 thus establishing this foundation as an important pilgrimage site. Patron saint of soldiers, jailors, blacksmiths, and messengers, by the fourteenth century, Adrian was also considered a protector against the plague. In both badges here he is represented in full armor holding a sword in one hand and an anvil in the other. The apparent chronological separation in the making of the respective molds reveals developments in figurative, armor, and costume styles.

Text from the Cloisters label.