Medieval Scallop Shell Pendant, Bronze

Medieval Scallop Shell Pendant

The scallop shell was the sign of a successful pilgrimage to Spain in the Middle Ages and a prestigious souvenir and status symbol. The original find has a rivet pin for attachment to a cap or on leather and was made available to us for processing from a private collection. This replica, however, is equipped with a hitching eye and comes with a leather thong. Handcrafted from real bronze.

The Camino Francés - a pilgrimage

The Way of St. James or Camino Francés is an ancient pilgrimage route to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Along with Rome and Jerusalem, the apostle's resting place is one of the main destinations of Christian pilgrimage. According to legend, James was a missionary and national saint on the Iberian Peninsula. After his execution in the Holy Land, his remains are said to have turned up in Spain and been buried in a small chapel. From an archaeological point of view, there is no evidence that James actually once stayed in Spain, but the creation of legends since the 7th century brought immense influence and wealth, especially to the church and the place of pilgrimage. The idolatrous significance of the national saint for the Spanish Reconquista, the reconquest of the Muslim territories of Spain by Christian armies, should also not be underestimated.

As the patron saint of pilgrims, James is depicted with a shell on his hat or belt. According to legend, the body of the saint was washed ashore in Galicia and was covered with shells all over his body. This so-called scallop shell was already the sign of a successful pilgrimage to Spain in the Middle Ages and a prestigious souvenir and status symbol. The coast of Galicia represented the end of the known world at that time, and locally the shells were used as drinking or eating vessels.