A large fragment of an extremely rare medieval pilgrim badge dating to the 14th century showing the martyrdom of St Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on Tuesday 29 December 1170. A near complete example of this badge excavated from the foreshore of the Thames in 1998 revealed the overall design depicted the moment of the Archbishops murder - he is shown kneeling before the altar in Canterbury Cathedral as four armoured knights wielding swords attack him from behind. Those elements of the composition are missing from this fragment, what remains is a glorious representation of the altar - complete with a tiny chalice and crucifix, surrounded by intricate Gothic tracery. Behind the altar the figure of the tonsured cleric Edward grim stands witness to the brutality unfolding before him. Grim, a visiting monk from Cambridge was among a group who accompanied Becket into Canterbury Cathedral and stood by him during his altercation with the knights. He attempted to protect Becket from their attack until his own arm was nearly severed by a blow aimed at the primate, he fell to the ground but was able to crawl away to the altar where the archbishop's other clerks had hidden, and escaped with his life. Several years later Grim produced a biography - Vita S. Thomae (Life of St. Thomas) which features his first hand account of the murder. Becket’s death was one of the most significant popular phenomena of the European Middle Ages. His subsequent canonisation and the vast number of associated miracles that were reported made Canterbury an increasingly popular pilgrimage destination - those pilgrims took home pewter badges like this one. By the time this badge was produced circa 1350 the cult of St Thomas had spread across Northern Europe.

Ex. Jonathan Horne Collection