Medieval badge - Woodsman ("wild man")
Netherlands, 1350-1450
Brass casting. Dimensions: 43 × 33 mm
This badge depicts the figure of the 'wilder Mann ', a mythical creature that was deeply rooted in the folk beliefs of Germany and surrounding countries. In the iconography of medieval Europe, the wild man was represented as a hairy, muscular creature, often armed with a club, symbolizing primal strength, a connection with nature and the instinctive side of man.
In German lands, the wild man appeared not only in art and folk tales, but also as a heraldic motif, especially in the emblems of noble families. He was perceived as both a protector of nature, an embodiment of chaos outside civilisation, and an allegorical figure representing untamedness, freedom and life outside the law of society.
In Flanders and the Netherlands, badges with this motif were produced as part of secular culture, often as part of festivals, carnivals or guild ceremonies. The wild man could carry symbolic meanings of strength, masculinity or even an ironic view of human nature.
Based on the book 'Sieraad en devotie in middeleeuws Vlaanderen' by Jose Kolderweij.
Brass cast. Dimensions: 43 × 33 mm.
- Made in Ukraine by Armour and Castings
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