Medieval badge - Woman on the lap of a man playing the flute
Netherlands, 14th-15th century
Brass cast. Dimensions: 25 × 40 mm
This highly erotic and satirical badge depicts a woman sitting on a man's lap while playing a long oblong flute. To a modern viewer the scene may appear almost lyrical, but in a medieval context it was an overt and provocative symbol of sensuality and carnal desire.
It was the fact that the flute was played by a woman that was considered in medieval visual culture to be a clear reference to the trade of the body, not just a couple in love. The scene is therefore very likely to represent a scene from a brothel, the so-called 'joyhouse', where entertainment, music and drinking took place alongside sexual services.
Badges of this type were a common part of secular culture in the late Middle Ages, especially in the urban environment of Flanders and the Netherlands. They served as humorous or satirical artefacts, often worn at festivals, carnivals or guild events. Despite their provocative nature, they also had a social function, commenting on the morals of the time, mocking hypocrisy and celebrating worldly pleasures.
Based on the book 'Sieraad en devotie in middeleeuws Vlaanderen' by Jose Kolderweij.
Brass cast. Dimensions: 25 × 40 mm.
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