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LOT 1862
Medieval Bronze Knight's Holy Sepulchre Badge
CIRCA 13TH-14TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (1.34 grams, 24 mm).
Formed as a cross-crosslet, the symbol of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, with a punched-point border and a stud on the reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Suffolk, UK.
Property of a Suffolk, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Mitchiner, M., Medieval Pilgrim & Secular Badges, London, 1986, items 939-41.
FootnotesThe 'Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem' was an order of knighthood under the protection of the Pope, formed around 1099 AD by Duke Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the First Crusade. It was established for the protection of pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land and was recognised by a Papal Bull in about 1113 AD.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Medieval Knight's Heraldic Horse Harness Pendant Group
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Medieval Bronze Ring Brooch Group
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Large Medieval Stone Church Gargoyles
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Matched pair of carved stone corbels, each a mythical beast with a rounded body, bat-like wings folded behind the back, long arched neck and reptilian head with gaping mouth; mounted on an integral square-section base with stepped rear face; socket to forward face with bronze insert; some surface accretions. 400 kg total, 118 -121.5 cm
Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13385-259013.
From the Romanesque era onwards, images of demons, often carved on the external sides of cathedrals and churches, were strongly linked to the fantastical and monstrous creatures of ancient myth and legend. For theologians, supernatural creatures which could not otherwise be explained were not of God and therefore had to be demonic: their incorporation in the ecclesiastic structures showed that their malevolent powers could be kept under control only through the protection of the church. This origin of Christian demons is likely to have influenced the visual representation in medieval culture as hybrid and monstrous, especially given the increased interest in Greek works from the twelfth century onwards in the West.
