Medieval badge - Archer with hunting horn
England, 14th-15th century
Brass casting. Dimensions: 30 × 50 mm
The badge depicts an archer wearing a hunting horn at his waist - possibly a deer hunter. He has his bow drawn and is preparing to shoot an arrow. The scene refers not only to the martial arts, but also to a popular leisure activity of medieval nobility and townspeople - hunting and archery.
Archery was extremely important in medieval England. Before the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), the English government devoted many resources to the promotion of the discipline - every free man was obliged to own a bow and to practise regularly. The whole of England thus became, in theory, a mobilisation base for the archery militia, which played a key role in battles such as Crécy (1346) and Agincourt (1415).
The figure may also have religious overtones - St Hubert, patron saint of hunters, was often depicted with a hunting horn and bow. The badge could thus carry both a secular and a spiritual meaning.
This badge probably belongs to the category of so-called tournament and ceremonial badges, which people bought as a commemoration of an important event, such as a tournament, a hunt or a town festival. They can be compared to today's sports fan badges.
Based on the book "Pilgrim Souvenirs and Secular Badges" by Brian Spencer.
Cast brass. Dimensions: 30 × 50 mm.
- Made in Ukraine by Armour and Castings
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