Pilgrim's Badge representing Saint Adrian

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Saint Adrian of Nicomedia was a former Roman soldier martyred for his Christian beliefs by having his limbs smashed on an anvil. His relics were translated to Geraardsbergen in 1175 thus establishing this foundation as an important pilgrimage site. Patron saint of soldiers, jailors, blacksmiths, and messengers, by the fourteenth century, Adrian was also considered a protector against the plague. In both badges here he is represented in full armor holding a sword in one hand and an anvil in the other. The apparent chronological separation in the making of the respective molds reveals developments in figurative, armor, and costume styles.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.

Metropolitan Museum of Art