Saint James of Compostella

Description

Pilgrim badge: St James of Compostella

Time period: 14th to 15th Century
Origin: London, England
Materials: Pewter
Product Dimensions: 3.0cm width x 2.8cm height;

Further details:

A scallop shell. By the 12th century the shrine of St James the Greater, at Compostela in Galicia, north-west Spain, had joined Rome and Jerusalem as one of the three great pilgrimages.

The scallop shell badge of St James was exploited as a promotional enterprise from the 11th century onwards. By the late middle ages, despite frequent attempts by the Archbishops of Compostela to restrict its use to compostela, the scallop was recognised as the universal symbol of pilgrimage.

In this example the image of St James, dressed in pilgrim’s attire, has been incorporated into the design.