From medieval pilgrim badges and Renaissance hat decorations to jewelled brooches and twentieth-century political pins, brooches and badges are often more than practical or decorative dress fasteners; they are expressions of identity. Focusing on the V&A(1)s world-famous collection, Brooches & Badges explores the evolution of these intricate and versatile works of art, and the way in which changes in dress have dictated their use.
Author Biography
Rachel Church is a Curator in the Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics and Glass Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum with a special responsibility for the rings collection. She has published and lectured on jewelry and worked on the re-display of the William and Judith Bollinger Jewellery Gallery. She has contributed to a number of V&A publications, including writing on gold boxes in The Gilbert Collection at the V&A (2009).