Goliath badge slays all the competition

A medieval hat badge '¨discovered in Quernmore has been acquired by Lancaster City Museum .
The David and Goliath badge which is on show at Lancaster City Museum.The David and Goliath badge which is on show at Lancaster City Museum.
The David and Goliath badge which is on show at Lancaster City Museum.

The gold and cast enamel hat badge, which was declared treasure in 2014, would have been made for a man to sew on to his black felt beret and dates from around 1530-1540 said Dora Thoronton, curator at the British Museum.

Dora said on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database: “The badge is made of a thin layer of gold embossed so as to represent figures on a landscape.On the left, a large reclining male figure with a beard, waring classical armour, holds up a shield.

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“Behind him, there are tents on a rocky crag. At the right there is the striding figure of a young boy in a tunic, originally holding something in each hand, possibly a stone on a sling. It may not be English in make but represents a highly fashionable and expensive jewel worn by a noble or wealthy individual.

“The subject would seem to be David and the giant Goliath, whom he wounded with a stone thrown from his sling. Old Testament or obviously Protestant New Testament subjects were favoured for hat badges particularly in England as demonstrated by a badge in the British Museum with Christ and the Woman of Samaria with English biblical inscription in black enamel.”

Dr Dot Boughton, curator at Lancashire Museums, said: “This is one of the most beautiful objects that I ever saw and I’m so happy Lancs Museums acquired this David and Goliath badge from Quernmore for Lancaster City Museum.”