Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities and Objects of Vertu

An early 15th century pewter pilgrim’s badge, of openwork form, to the centre the Virgin Mary of the cathedral at Aachen, holding the infant Christ with her left hand and a lily pot in her right hand, standing beside her Pope Cornelius, holding a horn and Charlemagne, King of the Franks; above is the Virgin’s nightgown, its sleeves held horizontally supported by a priest on either side, all contained within a gabled superstructure, with suspension loops and tabs at the sides for a mirror to be fixed behind, height 85mm, width 55mm. £600-£700

For a similar example, see No 416 in Helig en Profaan 1993, H.J.E. Van Beuningen.

Aachen became Germany’s most important pilgrim centre during the 14th-15th centuries, with 142,000 pilgrims counted at the gates of Aachen in a single day. Every 7th year between Easter and 1st October, the Cathedral’s relics were exhibited which included the nightgown worn by the Virgin on Christmas night.