Shepherds' Budgets in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Shepherds are frequently depicted with a sort of waist-pouch or satchel which are sometimes referred to as a "budgets" (from the French word bougette, meaning a sack); sometimes these seem to be referred to as "scrips" or "wallets."

The budget is used to carry newly-shorn wool (newly-shorn locks can be seen poking out of a shepherd's budget in Bronzino's Adoration of the Shepherds) or other goods; sometimes a flute appears tucked between a shepherd's hip and the budget.

In some cases, it appears that the budget appears to be a sort of net bag; in others, leather.

Following are budgets as they appear in period illustrations and artwork.

• Samuel and Jesse in The Maciejowski Bible, 13th century
• The Adoration of Jesus by the Master of the Trebon Altarpiece, before 1380
• The Epirote shepherd and the Roman army, Ab urbe condita (BNF Fr. 263, fol. 369v), beginning of the 15th century
• Ozias kills Amos, Bible Historiale (BNF Fr. 4, fol. 123v), beginning of the 15th century
• Jacob increases his herd, Bible Historiale (BNF Fr. 9, fol. 32v), beginning of the 15th century
• Shepherd keeping his sheep in Breviary of Martin of Aragon, 15th century (BNF ROTH 2529, fol. 145)
• Tristan and the shepherds, Tristan de Léonois (BNF Fr. 97, fol. 136v), first quarter of the 15th century
• A shepherdess with dog, sheep and goats from "Le Dit de la Pastoure" in a copy of the collected works of Christine de Pisan dating to 1410-1411
• Pan (fol. 108) and a shepherdess (fol. 221), Collected Works of Christine de Pisan (British Library MS Harley 4431), 1410-1411
• July in The Tres Riches Heures of the Duke of Berry, 1410s
• Oedipus exposed, De casibus (BNF Fr. 232, fol. 11v), second quarter of the 15th century
• Annunciation to the Shepherds, book of hours (Bibl. Sainte-Geneviève, MS 1277, fol. 053), c. 1433-1465
• The Birth of Christ by Hans Multscher, 1437
• Jacob increasing his herd, Bible historiale, 15th century
• Virgil's Opera Omnia, ca. 1450-1475 (KB 76 E 21 I)
  Flute-playing contest between Menalcas and Dametas with Palemon as judge (fol. 20r)
  Mopsus and Menalcas about to play a song eulogizing Daphnis (fol. 25r)
  Flute-playing contest between Corydon and Thyrsis with Daphnis as judge (fol 30r)
• Tullus Hostilius, Facta et dicta memorabilia (BNF Fr. 288, fol. 174), second half of the 15th century
• Joseph is sold by his brothers (fol. 21) and Cyrus II the Great is given to a shepherd (fol. 172v), Fleur des histoires (BNF Fr. 55), second half of the 15th century
• Asclepios contemplates the basilisk, The History of Troy (BNF Fr. 59, fol. 31v), second half of the 15th century
• A shepherdess in the Rohan Hours (BNF Lat. 9471, fol. 85v)
• The story of David, Speculum historiale (BNF Fr. 50, fol. 74v), 1463
• St. Laumer gives alms to pilgrims, Speculum Historiale (BNF Fr. 51, fol. 437v), 1463
• fol. 63v detail in the Book of Hours of Paul Overtvelt, c. 1475
• The Portinari Triptych (see detail) by Hugo van der Goes, 1476-1479
• In a 15th century edition of Jean Mansel's Fleur des histoires: Cyrus II is given to a shepherd and the shepherd saves Cyrus II.
• Adoration of the Magi by Gerard David, c. 1500
• Tapestry: The labors of wool, c. 1500
• A shepherd and shepherdess in Pierre Sala's Petit Livre d'Amour (British Library MS Stowe 955, fol. 9), c. 1500
• The Paumgartner Altar (see detail) by Albrecht Dürer, 1503
• The Annunciation to the Shepherds in the Great Book of Hours of Anne of Brittany (BNF Latin 9474, fol. 58v), c. 1503-1508
• Life of the Virgin: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Albrecht Dürer, 1504-1505
• Shepherd dancing from a book of hours, first quarter of the 16th century (MMW, 10 E 3 fol. 85v)
• April in a book of hours (British Library MS Egerton 1147, fol. 9v), 1500-1515
• Triptych by Jan de Beer, 1510s
• Fols. 4v and 5r of the Hennessy Book of Hours, c. 1530-1540
• Adoration of the Shepherds by Agnolo Bronzino, 1535-40
• Adoration of the Shepherds by Pieter Pourbus, 1574