Medieval-style hedgehog brooch

Medieval people (just like us) liked to accessorise - and the bling for the masses was made of pewter. This pewter brooch is based on examples from medieval and renaissance Europe, dating from the 12th to the 16th century. It's handmade in the traditional way - individually cast in a hand-carved soapstone mould.

This listing is for ONE pewter hedgehog brooch. Why has it got those round things all over it? Well those round things are fruit! According to medieval stories, hedgehogs were thieves - they tiptoed into orchards at night and stole fruit by rolling in the windfalls until they stuck to their spines, enabling them to run away with their loot. Medieval folk didn't see the hedgehog as all bad though - the story continues that the hedgehog was doing this for the noble reason of feeding its young. This hedgehog is taken from a medieval manuscript painting.

The brooch is 24mm wide and 17mm high. The pin is made in the medieval style, cast in one piece with the body of the brooch. This means it must be bent to open and close, and so is not designed to the pinned and removed many times as the pin will weaken. I recommend you put it on a favourite hat, coat or bag and leave it in place as much as possible.

These brooches are made from lead-free pewter (lead poisoning might be historically accurate but really, do we actually want to go that far?) and, like all pewter, will develop a matt patina with time. As these brooches are hand-cast in stone moulds, small variations in their finish are part of their nature.

I'm happy to create custom listings for larger numbers - just use the contact link to message me. International buyers, please contact me via Felt to arrange shipping.

I hope you enjoy wearing these little bits of history as much as I enjoy making them.