Hat badges incorporated a range of religious and emblematic imagery in a small format. The severed head of St. John the Baptist on a bloody platter was a popular devotional image that related to faith while warning against jealousy and envy. This exceptional example, in which the head of the saint appears in high relief against shimmering red enamel, attests to the vividness and refinement of French jewels.
Unknown maker, French
Hat Badge with the Head of St. John the Baptist on a Platter, ca. 1500–1525
Gold, cast and enameled
Inscribed on the border, in Latin: Among those born of women, none has grown [greater than John the Baptist]
Victoria and Albert Museum, London; 473-1873
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London