St Thomas Becket

ID:

85.500/7

Production date:

Late Medieval; 14th century

Location:

In Store

Part of a pilgrim badge from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This badge would have depicted the head-shaped reliquary bust, which held the remains of Becket’s skull, inside an architectural frame. The left-hand side of the frame and the bust itself has not survived. At the base of the frame is the word ‘THOME’.  < ...Read more

Part of a pilgrim badge from the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. This badge would have depicted the head-shaped reliquary bust, which held the remains of Becket’s skull, inside an architectural frame. The left-hand side of the frame and the bust itself has not survived. At the base of the frame is the word ‘THOME’.

Thomas Becket was born in London in 1118. He became a royal official and a great friend of King Henry II. He was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162. He argued with King Henry II, and fled to France in 1164. Thomas Becket returned to Canterbury in 1170 and was killed in the cathedral by four knights who thought this would please the king. People were outraged at the murder of an archbishop on holy ground and Becket was made a saint. He became one of the patron saints of London. Many Londoners travelled to Canterbury to pray at the shrine there and bought badges and ampullae (small bottles for holy water) as souvenirs of their pilgrimage. < Hide

Measurements

H 84 mm; W 22 mm

Materials

lead alloy

Last Updated

2024-03-14