Ancient Craft of Medieval Badge Making at the Hat Fair
Visitors to Winchester's City Museum on Saturday 1 July 2006 will be able to see the medieval craft of pilgrim badge making in action, as the City Council's Museums Service joins the celebrations for the Hat Fair weekend.These popular demonstrations will take place throughout the day in The Square, just outside the museum, using 15th century clothing and tentage and using authentic techniques, tools and materials. The badges themselves are made of pewter.
Pilgrim badges were in many ways the first mass-produced souvenirs and were sold as souvenirs to visitors at sites of pilgrimage. The badges were a token or 'sign' the person had undertaken a pilgrimage. Visitors to the City Museum will be able to purchase a specially commissioned St Giles Pilgrim Badge, a replica of a badge displayed in the Medieval Gallery of the museum.
Sher Kent, Visitor Services Manager for the Museums Service commented, "We are really proud to be a part of the Hat Fair and I hope people will come and enjoy the spectacle of a 15th century artisan at work."
The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.