Ann Marie Rasmussen
Badges Across Europe: Rostock
Badges Across Europe: Rostock

Medieval Badges Cross-stitch Sampler Two

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach has created another medieval badge embroidery sampler that we happy to be sharing with you here. The embroidered bookmark features the iconography (from top to bottom) of a Tudor rose and a pomegranate (the heraldic devices of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon) two popular saints, Saint Ursula and Saint Cecilia, and medieval proverb:

For anyone new to cross-stitch, Ellen recommends this video to help you get started. If you haven’t already, try out the Cross-stitch Sampler 1!

SAINT URSULA

Saint Ursula was a legendary virgin martyr of the fourth century. She is depicted in the original pewter badge standing on a boat, with the heads of nine virgins (here, represented in grey) between her and the crosier. The legend goes that she and eleven (or in some accounts, 11,000) virgins were returning from a pilgrimage to Rome and were murdered by the Huns in Cologne. The original pewter badge depicting this scene is from Cologne (1350-1399) and was found in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Saint Ursula’s feast day is October 21st.

SAINT CECILIA

Saint Cecilia was a third-century virgin martyr, who has been venerated as the patron saint of music and musicians, despite her obscure association to them, since the sixteenth century. Beginning in the Middles Ages, she became increasingly represented by the motif of the organ (which some thought she invented), as depicted in the embroidered form above, of the original pewter badge. The badge was found in London, England, but its origin (1000-1599) is unknown. Her feast day is November 22nd.

MATERIALS

  • Aida Cotton 14ct cloth

  • 6 Strand Cotton Floss (DMC)

  • Embroidery needle

  • Regular white thread and sharp needle

  • Embroidery hoop (recommended)

  • Scissors, pencil, and ruler

  • An iron

  • Cut felt for backing (4.5 x 15 cm)

  • See bottom of post for colour recommendations

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

  1. Iron aida cloth and felt until flat.  

  2. Set felt aside for finishing and tightly secure aida cloth on an embroidery hoop.

  3. All stitches are worked with two strands of floss, which must be separated before threading onto needle.

TIPS WHILE EMBROIDERING

  1. At the end of each colour/strand, be sure to leave enough length to weave the floss through the back of the stitches for fastening.

  2. It is easiest to start in the centre of the chart and work outwards, continuing to use the threaded colour until a new strand is needed or all stitches of that colour have been completed.

FINISHING

  1. With a pencil and ruler, mark a line about six holes in from each side of the piece and cut.  Fold this in half (at three holes) and sew a hem with regular thread and sharp needle. 

  2. Using appropriate size of felt, sew backing onto the embroidered piece.

  3. Iron until flat. Do not steam; water can cause the colours of embroidery floss to run.

  4. Enjoy your new bookmark!

You are free to use whatever colours you have. Ellen used the following: Bright Orange-Red (606); Medium Beige Brown (741); Bright Canary (973); Bright Chartreuse (704); Medium Electric Blue (996); Very Dark Lavender (208); Very Light Dusty Rose (151); Medium Beige Brown (840); Dark Yellow Beige (3045); Pale Steel Grey (3024); Medium Yellow Green (3347); Raspberry Mauve (3687); Ultra Very Light Tan (739); Grey Blue (161); Light Emerald Green (912); Medium Rose (899); Medium Burnt Orange (900); Delft Blue (809).

Design and descriptions by Ellen Siebel-Achenbach.

Medieval Badges Cross-stitch Sampler One

EMBROIDERED MEDIEVAL BADGE BOOKMARK 1

Embroidered bookmarks are a fun way to explore medieval badges. Embroidering heightens attention to elements of the badge’s iconography and allows the maker to express the badge’s proportionality. This kind of activity is not new. While textiles from the Middle Ages rarely survive, some of those that do display the creativity and consummate design and crafting skills of medieval embroideresses (and the occasional embroiderer). The badge-like object to the right, which has survived because it was sewn into a medieval manuscript, is an example of textiles and badges interacting.

Cross-stitch is a popular and easy way to learn how to embroider. Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, the researcher-maker of this project, has created a pattern and instructions to help you create your own embroidered medieval badge bookmark! For anyone new to cross-stitch, Ellen recommends this video to help you get started.

Materials

Aida Cotton 14ct cloth

  • 6 Strand Cotton Floss (DMC)

  • Embroidery needle

  • Regular white thread and sharp needle

  • Embroidery hoop (recommended)

  • Scissors, pencil, and ruler

  • An iron

  • Cut felt for backing (4.5 x 18 cm)

  • See bottom of post for colour recommendations

PREPARATION OF MATERIALS

  1. Iron aida cloth and felt until flat.  

  2. Set felt aside for finishing and tightly secure aida cloth on an embroidery hoop.

  3. All stitches are worked with two strands of floss, which must be separated before threading onto needle.

TIPS WHILE EMBROIDERING

  1. At the end of each colour/strand, be sure to leave enough length to weave the floss through the back of the stitches for fastening.

  2. It is easiest to start in the centre of the chart and work outwards, continuing to use the threaded colour until a new strand is needed or all stitches of that colour have been completed.

FINISHING

  1. With a pencil and ruler, mark a line about six holes in from each side of the piece and cut.  Fold this in half (at three holes) and sew a hem with regular thread and sharp needle. 

  2. Using appropriate size of felt, sew backing onto the embroidered piece.

  3. Iron until flat. Do not steam; water can cause the colours of embroidery floss to run.

  4. Enjoy your new bookmark!

Medieval Christmas 2022

As many of us transition into the Christmas season, we are invited back into the magical world of craftsmanship. We’ve been lucky to see some of this craftsmanship up-close through the ongoing research-creation projects of Ellen Siebel-Achenbach. Last year, Ellen used linocuts to mark the season. This year, she’s been working with wood to re-imagine medieval badges as a Räuchermann (traditional German incense smokers) and as a wooden nativity scene. Ellen has been as inspired by the original medieval badges as she has inspired them — literally in the case of the headless pilgrim badge of Saint Claude, which as a Räuchermann has not only been given a head but given again breath that flows through him and into the world.

Pewter badge, Sainte Claude, from Saint-Pierre Cathedral, Besançon, 1401-1500, 4.2 x 2.7 cm. CL4620. Paris, Musée de Cluny - musée national du Moyen Âge. Photographer: Gerard Blot. Photo credit: © RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY.

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, Sainte Claude as Räuchermann, 2022.

Ellen’s wooden nativity scene from a Cologne badge preserves the details of the original craftsperson. The turrets and arches frame both compositions. Ellen has beautifully recreated the naive style of the figures, note especially the halo of the Christ Child or crowns of the Three Kings and the shapes of the gifts they present. Ellen has also utilized the three-dimensional aspect of her material to enliven the characters in another way. Though it is not clear from the photographs, the arms of Saint Claude, the Three Kings and the Virgin Mary have been attached so that they are movable. Both re-imaginings bring the badges to life not only with movement, but with colour. The colourful wooden figures invite us as viewers back to the original pewter badges to ask ourselves how they might have been embellished originally.

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, Cologne Nativity scene, 2022.

 

Pewter badge, Three Kings, Cologne, Germany, 1275-1349, found in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 4 x 3.1 cm. The Van Beuningen Family Collection, inv. 0537 (Kunera 00167). Photograph courtesy of The Van Beuningen Family Collection.

 

We are both proud and impressed by Ellen’s work. Her efforts to preserve traditional craftsmanship and to “bridge the gap between traditional ‘high’ art history academic scholarship and ‘low’ reconstructions of visual and material culture” allow us to witness the beauty of her work, while we learn to see old objects in new ways.

Written by Hannah Gardiner. This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on December 23, 2022.

Medieval Christmas 2021

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, researcher–maker of the project, “Reimagining Medieval Badges in Modern Materials,” has been working diligently on creating a series of linocuts based on badges. Here below are two from her Christmas series, featuring the Annunciation scene and the Nativity scene.

We leave off 2021 with a feast for the eyes, wishing you and yours a Merry (Medieval) Christmas and a joyful holiday season!

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, linocut on paper, 2021. Annunciation Scene.

Lead alloy badge, Virgin Mary and Angel Gabriel stand beneath a canopy with a dove and a vase of lilies, inscriptions ECCE ANGL and AVE MARIA in Lombardic capitals, attachment unknown, Walsingham, United Kingdom, 1366-1400, found in Norwich, United Kingdom. Museum of London, image number 001722. Photograph courtesy of © Museum of London.

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, linocut on paper, 2021. Nativity Scene.

Pewter badge, Nativity scene in round frame with Mary recumbent with Christ Child wrapped in her arms, Joseph on the right with ox and donkey behind a manger, origin unknown, 1300-1399, found in Wienhausen, Germany, 61 x 61 mm. Kloster Wienhausen, Wienhausen, Germany (Kunera 05858). Photograph courtesy of Kloster Wienhausen.

This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on December 20, 2021.

Musings on Decay: Kendall Diemer's Exhibition

Over the past several months, Kendall Diemer has developed familiarity with the historical and material aspects of the medieval past in order to curate two exhibitions based on the collection of medieval objects housed at the University of Waterloo’s Medieval Digital Research in Arts and Graphical Environmental Networks Laboratory (DRAGEN Lab). We are happy to announce the start of Kendall’s second exhibition, which explores the collection through the lens of decay. The exhibition will take place from Monday, March 13th to Monday, April 3rd at St. Jerome’s University (SJ1, second floor). This blog post serves as an introduction to the inspiration behind the exhibition and to Kendall’s views on the topic.

MUSINGS ON DECAY

There are many things that run through one’s mind when walking through a museum and looking carefully at the intentionally curated objects on display: awe, interest, questions about the objects’ purposes, or about who used the object. Perhaps one’s thoughts turn to how amazing it is to be able to view these objects at all; how fortunate we are that not only did these objects survive for long periods of time, but that they were discovered and now arranged in museums that allow us to engage with the objects and to learn about the past. When we look at these survived objects, they may appear to be old, ancient, worn down, or showing signs of damage, but how often, as a museum visitor, do we take conscious note of this?  Do we see a medieval manuscript as old based on how long it has existed or as old in terms of its physical appearance, its signs of decay? How often, if at all, are the thoughts that we have towards museum objects centered on decay?

Dictionaries define decay as:   

  • “The gradual decline in strength, soundness, or prosperity, or in degree of excellence or perfection; to decline in health, strength, vigor; to fall into ruin; to undergo decomposition.” (Merriam-Webster, 2023)

  • “Slowly fall apart and become destroyed by natural processes, a slow change from a state of strength or perfection.” (Britannica, 2023)

  • “The process or result of being destroyed by natural causes or by not being cared for.” (Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, 2023)

Objects in museums are often revered for having existed for hundreds or thousands of years. We tend to have this subconscious idea that they will continue to exist for thousands more (Saunders). Because of this, decay is not always front of mind. And yet despite this sense of permanence associated with the museum object, all objects within a collection are subject to decay. In the collection of objects I study at the DRAGEN Lab, for instance, there are books with damaged spines, the pages of which have become stiff and yellowed, and manuscripts that have been damaged by insects, water and even tape. Objects are decaying and showing signs of it. The preservation and conservation of objects in museum contexts is what allows us to view them without actively noticing every sign of decay.  

 

An incunabula leaf from the Postilla Super Psalterium, a commentary on the Psalms written by Cardinal Hugh, of Saint-Cher ca. 1200-1263. Printed on 31 January 1498 in Nuremberg by Anton Koburger. Folio leaf measures 322 x 220 mm and contains 72 lines of unadorned Latin gothic script in double columns and contains commentary on Pslams 35 and 36. Note damage due to tape.

 

Decay is negative: it destroys; it must be prevented, and objects restored. Decay is also a natural process: it is authentic to the lifecycle of the object; it is a “testimony to the passage of time” (Douglas-Jones et al.). While there is a prevalent notion of decaying objects as items to be dismissed, rejected or even feared—think of those objects that have been exposed to mice, insects, moulds and other harbourers of disease—there are instances where decay can also be desirable or expected.  Consider ruins which, by their name, are expected to be ruined to some extent. Or how about medieval manuscripts, such as those in the collections of the DRAGEN Lab? Seeing the yellowing pages, torn edges, and faded script adds a level of intrigue. At times, and for certain objects, decay provides value in its provocation of feelings of reverence or wonder towards the past. It may even prove to serve as a greater connection to the generations of the past when we can see how the object is worn down from use by people who lived long before us (Douglas-Jones et al.).

Top: M6406 Choirbook in Latin Manuscript on parchment. France c.1500. Middle: Concordantiae Bibliorum Sacrorum Emendatae, Vulgatae Editionis. Bottom: Volvmen.

The next time you visit a museum, or come across a heritage site or historical object, keep decay in mind. When considering an object’s signs or level of decay, think about your interpretations of the decay. Do you have a negative association to the concept? Does the decay add value to the object or does it make you want to dismiss it, or perhaps see it fixed and restored? Can these conflicting interpretations of decay be resolved? Where is the line in decay being fascinating or repulsive, good or bad, repairable and of value, or unworthy and to be disposed?

Personally, I feel that the focus on the negative connotations of decay needs to be done away with. Decayed and decaying objects can still provide value whether historically, aesthetically or even philosophically. Decay serves as a reminder that even these objects of reverence are subject to the same processes that we are; that a decline in excellence and perfection is natural; that though things cannot be preserved completely it does not mean they lose their value.

Kendall Diemer is an emerging museum professional and interdisciplinary student.  She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a minor in Medieval Studies at the University of Waterloo. She previously completed her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a minor in Philosophy at the University of Windsor. She has been a member of the DRAGEN Lab since 2021.

The project-based independent study course that facilitated these exhibitions was led by Dr. Ann Marie Rasmussen and supported by the DRAGEN Lab.

Written by Kendall Diemer. Edited by Hannah Gardiner. This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on March 8, 2023.

Works Cited

DeSilvey, Caitlin. “Observed Decay: Telling Stories with Mutable Things.” Journal of Material Culture,1, no.3 (2016): 318-338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359183506068808

Douglas-Jones, Rachel, Hughes, John J., Jones, Sian, Yarrow, Thomas. “Science, value and material decay in the conservation of historic environments.” Journal of Cultural Heritage, 21 (2016): 823-833. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1296207416300346

Saunders, Jill. “Conservation in Museums and Inclusion of the Non-Professional.” Journal of Conservation and Museum Studies, 12(1): 6, pp. 1-13, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jcms.1021215

Reimagining Medieval Badges in Modern Materials

Recently joining our team as a researcher-maker for the new project, “Reimagining Badges in Modern Materials,” is Ellen Siebel-Achenbach.  Ellen is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Medieval Studies, Visual Culture, Fine Arts Studio, and Church Worship and Music at the University of Waterloo. She is also an undergraduate intern at the DRAGEN Lab, our collaborator for this project.  

Conceptually, “Reimagining Medieval Badges in Modern Materials” interrogates the difference between replicating and reimagining medieval badges. In the Middle Ages, badge-like objects sharing similar iconographies were crafted in a wide variety of materials from precious to perishable. As a researcher-maker, Ellen will similarly engage with a wide variety of materials in order to learn about them, their affordances and constraints, and reflect on the ways in which they might be used to reimagine badges, to explore badge-like qualities, and to engage modern audiences in discovery about the Middle Ages.

To offer our community a sense of the project, we asked Ellen to share some of her initial experimental makings and discoveries, which we will continue to share periodically on this blog. 

Medieval Badges: Could you tell us a bit about your first encounters with badges? 

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach: Although I had previously encountered medieval badges in museums, I only began to engage with them while on an experiential learning research trip to England in 2019 with Dr. Rasmussen. Our group visited museums, churches, and workshops, and I became increasingly interested in medieval craft more generally and in understanding that badges served a variety of functions. Like most people, I had associated badges with religious pilgrimage alone – especially in the case of the popular badges featuring Saint Thomas Becket of Canterbury.

MB: What is guiding your process of making for this project? 

ESA: For the first few badge experiments, I was interested in the ways delicate details of badge figures could be captured in such a small scale.  To start, I chose three badges with a high level of detail: a badge of the holy communion wafers of Wilsnack, a badge of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Christ Child from Rocamadour, and the badge of a king and bishop holding a tower in a round frame from Yper. I decided to make the badges using a clear polystyrene plastic that shrinks when heated (i.e., baked!). I drew the designs with oil-based markers and embellished them with oil-based metallic paints. I coloured the Yper badge with several shades of grey, yellow, and green and attempted to reproduce a degree of depth within the Yper badge through the application of a glued layer of ‘gems.’ The translucent material has allowed me to include colour in the badges in a manner resembling medieval stained glass and enamel miniatures.

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, polystyrene and oil-based ink, 2021.

Pewter badge, the holy communion wafers of Wilsnack, eyelets, Wilsnack, Germany, 1475-1522, found in Nieuwlande, the Netherlands, 36 x 31 mm. Family Van Beuningen Collection, inv. 1709 (Kunera 00130). Photograph courtesy of Family Van Beuningen Collection.

MB: How have your experimental makings influenced your understanding of medieval badges?

ESA: I found it difficult to capture the original details even prior to the baking process, in which the original design shrinks by about two-thirds. I have very different materials at my disposal, of course, but I have nevertheless tried to make crafting choices that come closer to medieval crafters, such as doing sketches by hand rather than digitally. Right now, I’m trying to minimize the digital component of my making. I’m also working by hand in natural light, a commodity in as short supply in November in northerly regions as it was six hundred years ago.

MB: What is one challenging aspect about reimagining these badges materially?

ESA: On top of difficulties capturing details, I have had challenges with the fragility of the plastic material I am currently using. It often cracks during the cutting (note the right cross of the Wilsnack badge) and baking processes. The material also occasionally bakes into a curved shape (as occurred in the Rocamadour badge). The imperfections of my own badge creations may in some way emulate imperfections present in many badges. One example of this is the centre of the original Rocamadour badge I am using, where there is what looks like a nail hole in the centre of the Virgin Mary.  

 

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach, polystyrene and oil-based ink, 2021. Reimagined pewter badge, Blessed Virgin Mary enthroned and holding sceptre with Christ child on her left knee, eyelets, Rocamadour, France, 1270-1299, found in Schleswig, Germany, 74 x 55.5 x 1.5 mm. Schleswig, Germany, Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landesmuseum, inv. KSD 375 325 (Kunera 04244).

 

MB: What are you planning on experimenting with over the coming months? 

ESA: My next experiments will utilize a similar material to the one I’ve been using, but with a white base to allow for more vibrancy of colour. I’m looking forward to working with this opaque polystrene plastic because it offers the potential for creating even more detail alongside a more subtle colouring. I may also combine the clear and white plastic in some future re-imagined badges.  

I’m also planning on creating a series of lino-prints for the Christmas season, featuring badges of the Nativity and Epiphany scenes. These prints will use both black oil-based paint and gouache. I am also starting work on a series of shadow boxes in which I divide enlarged medieval badges into different layers of depth.

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach is a research intern and badge maker for “Reimagining Badges in Modern Materials.” She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Medieval Studies, Visual Culture, Fine Arts Studio, and Church Worship and Music at the University of Waterloo. She has been a member of the DRAGEN Lab since 2019.

Edited by Hannah Gardiner and Dr. Ann Marie Rasmussen. This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on December 1, 2021.

The Medieval Podcast

The Medieval Podcast — “Medieval Badges with Ann Marie Rasmussen”

Ann Marie Rasmussen had the pleasure of speaking with Danièle Cybulskie, the creator and host of The Medieval Podcast, several weeks ago. Their conversation, “Medieval Badges with Ann Marie Rasmussen,” is now available to listen to on their website.

“If you were suddenly transported back into Northern Europe in the latter part of the Middle Ages, a lot of the people you came across would be sporting something shiny on their clothes or hats. This week, Danièle speaks with Ann Marie Rasmussen about medieval badges, how they were made and used, and who was wearing them.”

The Medieval Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Danièle Cybulskie, in which she interviews various scholars and historians of the Middle Ages about an array of topics. The podcast is run through Medievalists.net — a website promoting medieval history through news, articles, videos, and more.

This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on November 11, 2021.

Medieval Badges Workshop with Melanie Jackson

Ellen Siebel-Achenbach’s badge, man on horse or donkey mounts stairs to wind mill. Original pewter badge found here.

On April 13th and 14th, we were glad to welcome Melanie Jackson to the DRAGEN Lab at St. Jerome’s University. Her artist talk on Thursday evening focused on her engagement with a series of secular medieval badges and how visually led research invites us to engage with objects of the past differently. On Friday afternoon, Melanie led a hands-on workshop, where participants were invited to re-make a medieval badge. Participants made press moulds using clay to think about the ways that drawing in the negative and incorporating a range of historical and contemporary technologies and methods can open up ideas in new ways.

We began the workshop on our cell phones, looking for an image of a badge we wanted to copy and then reversing it. Once reversed, we had to begin thinking about our images negatively, as the medieval makers would have, as we ‘drew’ them into our clay moulds. That the deepest marks made into the moulds would become the highest was more challenging for some (myself included) than for others to grasp. This alone gave participants a newfound appreciation for how skillful and practiced those crafting the three-centimetre badge moulds would have been.

Finished clay mould of Compostela pilgrim shell.

Plaster hardening inside of the clay mould.

Once our moulds were finished, we poured plaster into them and waited for the plaster to harden. We were then able to see clearly the results of handiwork. Like many of the surviving badges, some of us had bits of our badges break off at the weak points. Excitement, anticipation and — naturally — some frustration were all part of the process of making badges at the workshop. These feelings, including that of accomplishment at the end of the workshop when we saw our badges shine with the graphite we had painted over them, are certainly sentiments we share across time with the medieval makers. Though times and technologies have changed, our bodies – their physical and emotional make-ups – allow us to continue to enter into deeply humanistic research.

In the midst of a growing emphasis on digital technologies being used to capture ancient artifacts in new forms, the act of re-making badges prioritizes a different way of knowing that offers us insight not into the results of making, but the process of making. By engaging both body and imagination, we are hopeful that this kind of experiential learning makes room for different kinds of research questions of both the medieval badges and their makers to emerge.

We are very grateful to Melanie for leading this workshop and enriching our research community!

Gillian Wagenaar’s badge, man holding bag on his head while riding donkey or horse. Original pewter badge found here.

Melanie Jackson’s vulva badge made before the workshop for demonstration purposes.

Written by Hannah Gardiner. This post was originally published on the Medieval Badges blog on May 8, 2023.

Bawdy Medieval Badges Talk with Melanie Jackson

Bawdy Medieval Badges | Ann Marie Rasmussen + Melanie Jackson

On Tuesday, April 13, 2021, Ann Marie Rasmussen was joined by Melanie Jackson to discuss their ongoing work with medieval badges. Drawing upon Rasmussen’s scholarly monograph, Medieval Badges: Their Wearers and Their Worlds (2021), and Jackson’s engagement with bawdy badges through her artistic project Spekyng Rybawdy, the conversation wove together questions of imagination, movement and scale.

Melanie Jackson is a UK-based artist working with modes of non-fiction storytelling through assemblages of sculpture, writing and moving image. Jackson is represented by Matt’s Gallery. A full version of Jackson’s Spekyng Rybawdy animation is available on Matt’s Gallery.

Melanie Jackson, Spekyng Rybawdy, 2020. Image courtesy of Matt’s Gallery.

Melanie Jackson, Spekyng Rybawdy, 2020. Image courtesy of Matt’s Gallery.

Melanie Jackson, Spekyng Rybawdy, 2020. Image courtesy of Matt’s Gallery.