Hildesheim No. 1

Results: 24 records

Click to view images and/or subjects

B01: New Testament - public life of Christ - baptism of Christ

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

B02: Old Testament - the ark ~ story of Noah

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

B03: New Testament - events from Resurrection to Pentecost - Virgin Mary - coronation of Mary in heaven - St. Godehard -- St. Epiphanius

Scene Description: Virgin crowned and enthroned in heaven; to her right [viewer's left] St. Godehard; to her left [viewer's right] Epiphanius

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

B04: Old Testament - Story of Moses - Exodus - crossing of the Red Sea - dividing the Red Sea

Scene Description: Moses parting the waters of the Red Sea

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

BS01: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Luke (and prophet Jeremiah)

Image Source: digital image from a colour slide: Werbefotografie Hermann Wehmeyer, [1996?]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

BS02: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Matthew (and prophet Isaiah?)

Image Source: digital image from a colour slide: Werbefotografie Hermann Wehmeyer, [1996?]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

BS03: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. John (and prophet Ezekiel)

Image Source: digital image from a colour slide: Werbefotografie Hermann Wehmeyer, [1996?]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

BS04: Apostle or saint - Evangelists - St. Mark (and prophet Daniel)

Image Source: digital image from a colour slide: Werbefotografie Hermann Wehmeyer, [1996?]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

LBSF01: symbol - the four rivers of paradise (springing from a fountain)

Image Source: digital image from a colour slide: Werbefotografie Hermann Wehmeyer, [1996?]

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

LID01: New Testament - Childhood and youth of Christ - Massacre of the Innocents

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

LID02: New Testament - public life of Christ - Christ with Mary Magdalene

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

LID03: virtues and vices - Charity vs Envy

Scene Description: Misericordia and Invidia

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

LID04: Old Testament - Story of Moses - with Aron before the altar [12 staves of Aaron]

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

information

view of church exterior - northwest view

Image Source: digital photograph taken 6 April 2015 by Jutta77 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_cathedral_of_Hildesheim_St._Mary._Built_in_872_AD._At_it's_eastern_side_you'll_find_a_rose_tree_more_than_1000_years_old._That_is_why_the_rose_is_the_symbol_of_this_town.jpg] [accessed 25 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church exterior in context

Image Source: digital photograph taken 30 September 2013 by Hildesheimer Michel [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Der_Dom_Mariä_Himmelfahrt_zu_Hildesheim.jpg] [accessed 25 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - crypt - detail

Scene Description: Source caption: "St. Mary's Cathedral, Hildesheim, Fundamente der Marienkapelle von 815 in der Krypta"

Image Source: digital photograph taken 5 June 2011 by Torbenbrinker [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Krypta815.2.jpg] [accessed 25 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

view of church interior - crypt - detail

Scene Description: after the restoration

Image Source: digital photograph taken 1 December 2017 by Tilman2007 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Domhof,_Dom,_Krypta_Hildesheim_20171201_001.jpg] [accessed 25 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

view of font

Image Source: digital image of a 1840 illustration -- Heft "Der Dom zu Hildesheim, Zweiter und dritter Theil der Abbildungen, bestehend aus 13 Tafeln, Hildesheim 1840" (ohne Verfasserangabe) [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hildesheim_Bronzetaufe_Zeichnung.jpg] [accessed 27 March 2010]

Copyright Instructions: PD

view of font and cover

Source caption: "Baptismal font (replica), Hildesheim Cathedral, c. 1225 AD, replica by Gebrüder Kusthardt, c. 1900 AD - Adolphus Busch Hall - Harvard University - Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA"

Scene Description: Source caption: "Baptismal font (replica), Hildesheim Cathedral, c. 1225 AD, replica by Gebrüder Kusthardt, c. 1900 AD - Adolphus Busch Hall - Harvard University - Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA"

Image Source: digital photograph taken 17 May 2017 by Daderot [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baptismal_font_(replica),_Hildesheim_Cathedral,_c._1225_AD,_replica_by_Gebrüder_Kusthardt,_c._1900_AD_-_Adolphus_Busch_Hall_-_Harvard_University_-_DSC05666.jpg] [accessed 17 February 2019]

Copyright Instructions: CC-PD-Mark / CC-Zero

view of font and cover

Copyright Instructions: CC-PD-Mark / CC-Zero

view of font and cover

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

view of font and cover

Image Source: digital image of a photograph taken 27 June 1997 by BSI

view of font and cover in context

Image Source: digital photograph taken 1 December 2017 by Tilman2007 [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Domhof,_Dom,_Taufbecken_Hildesheim_20171201_001.jpg] [accessed 25 February 2020]

Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

INFORMATION

FontID: 00098HIL

Object Type: Baptismal Font1

Church/Chapel: Dom Mariä Himmelfahrt / Hildesheimer Dom

Church Patron Saints: The Assumption of St. Mary

Church Location: Domhof 4, Hildesheim, Germany -- Tel.: +49 5121 17916-40

Country Name: Germany

Location: Hannover, Niedersachsen

Directions to Site: Located at the confluence of roads 1, 6, 243 and 494, 30 km SE of Hanover

Ecclesiastic Region: Bistum Hildesheim

Font Location in Church: Inside the church, in a side chapel, the last on the north-west side, in the Dom.

Date: ca. 1225-1226?

Century and Period: 13th century (early?), Late Romanesque

Workshop/Group/Artisan: Wilbernus / Westfalen cylindrical type

Cognate Fonts: the Rostock font, for the shape, not for the iconographic program. A copy of this font exists in Buckfast Abbey (Devon, England) -- there is a replica of this font by Gebrüder Kusthardt, c. 1900, at the Adolphus Busch Hall, Harvard University [is there another one at the Bode Museum, Berlin?]

Church Notes: The font is quite accessible, in the cathedral of St. Mary, in an open north-west chapel.

Font Notes: Click to view

Described in detail with transcriptions of the inscriptions in Didron (1859), with suggested date in the 13th century. Noted and illustrated in Lübke (1870) as late Romanesque. Bond (1908), who dates the font to c. 1260, is one of several who suggest that it was the bell foundries and casters who made these bronze fonts. Described and illustrated in Addison (1914) as "among the most interesting late Romanesque examples in Germany". As an added curiosity Addison (ibid.) notes "a perfectly shaped pretzel" on the table at the Last Supper scene. Described and illustrated in Schiller (1971). Höhl (2009) names Wilbernus as the master responsible for the font. Magnificent covered cast bronze bucket-shape font resting on four figures dated to the first half of the 13th century (estimations vary from 1210 to 1260). The artistic quality, the wealth of the iconographic program and the epigraphic presence of this font are all remarkable. The four figures which support the font are the rivers of Paradise (Pison, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates). The basin sides contain a lower set of circles with a depiction of the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance; above these, another set of circles containing prophets; in the spandrels above the latter, the four symbols of the evangelists; in between these, four major scenes enclosed in trilobed arches: the Baptism of Christ, Joshua's crossing of the Jordan, Moses crossing of the Red Sea and Mary enthroned with child Jesus, with cathedral saints, the donor of the font (dean Wilbernus) and St Epiphanius kneel before Mary. On the cover, also four scenes: Aaron's flowering rod, the Massacre of the Innocents, Mary Magdalene at the pharise's and the figure of Misericordia; above, in the spandrels, more O.T. figures. [NB: a copy of this font exists in Buckfast Abbey, in Devon, England. cf. Index entry under that name]. Barnet, Brandt and Lutz (2013) give the material of the font as: "cast in copper alloy"

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 52.148889, 9.947222

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 52° 8′ 56″ N, 9° 56′ 50″ E

UTM: 32U 564811 5778021

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: metal, bronze [copper alloy]

Font Shape: bucket-shaped (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: round

Rim Thickness: 1.5 cm

Diameter (inside rim): 97 cm

Diameter (includes rim): 100 cm

Height of Basin Side: 60 cm

Basin Total Height: 60 cm

Height of Base: 40 cm

Font Height (less Plinth): 100 cm [lid height not included] - 170 cm with lid

Notes on Measurements: BSI [NB: the total height is given as 1 m. 70 in Lasteyrie, 1926-1927, v. 2, p. 516]

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: Latin

Inscription Notes: Favreau's article provides French translations for all the inscriptions, as well as sources and contexts for of the original texts.

Inscription Location: Inscriptions are located on the rim of the bowl and lid, on the lower edging of the bowl, and around the arches of the arcade.

Inscription Text: (At the basin rim): +QVATUOR IRRORANT PARADISJ FLVMINA MUNDVM / + UJTVTES Q[ue] RIGANT TOTIDEM COR CRIMINE MUNDUM / + ORA PROPHETARUM QVE UATICJNATA FUERUNT / + HEC RATA SCRIPTORES EWANGELII CECINERVNT (At the basin bottom edge): OS MUTANS PHISON E[st] PRUDENTI[a] SIMILATUS + TEMP[er]IEM GEON T[er]RE DESIGNAT HIAT[us] + EST VELOX TIGRIS Q[u]O FORTIS SIGNIFICAT[ur] + FRUGIFER EUFRATES EST JUSTITIAQ[ue] NOTAT[ur] (At the virtues): PRUDENTIA ESTOTE PRUDENTE[s] / SIC[ut] SERPENTES] TEMPERANTIA / OM[n]E TULIT PU[n]CTU[m] Q[ui] MISCUIT VTILE DVLCI] / FORTITIDO [VIR Q[u]I D[omi]NAT[ur] A[n]I[m]O SVO FORTIOR ES[t] EX/PUGNATO/RE VERB[ium]] IUSTICIA [O[mn]IA I[n] N[umero], M[en]SURA [et] PON[dere] PO[no] (At the prophets): YSAYAS PROPHETA / EGREDIETOR VI[r]GA DE RA[dice] YES[se] HIEREMJAS PROPHET / REGNAB[it] REX [et] SAPIENS ER[it] DANIEL PROPHET A+ OM[ne]S P[o]P[u]L[i] [et] T[r]IB[us] [et] LINGUE IP[s]I S[er]VIE[nt] EZECHIEL PROPHETA SI[mi]LITUDO A[n]I[m]ALIU[m] [et] HIC AS[pectus] EO[rum] (At the Evangelitsts): S[an]C[tu]S MATHEVS EWANG[e]L[ist]A IPSE SALVV[m] FACIET P[o]P[u]L[u]M SUU[m] A P[e]C[catis] EO[rum] S[anctus] LVCAS EWANG[e]L[ist]A DABIT ILLJ D[omi]N[u]S SEDE[m] D[avi]D P[atris] EI[us] S[ANCTUS] MARCVS EWANG[e]L[ist]A IPSE VOS B/ABTIZAB[it] I[n] SP[iritV S[an]C[t]O [et] IGNE S[anctus] IOHANNES EYYANG[e]L[ist]A UERBU[m] CARO F[a]C[tu]M E[st] AVE MARIA GR[at]IA PLENA / S[an]C[t]A MARIA WILBERN[us]. UENIA. SPE. DAT LAVDIQ[ue] MARIE +HOC DECVS ECCLESIE SVSCIPE CHR[ist]E PIE (At the Red Sea crossing): MOYSES P[er] MARE P[er] MOYSEN FUGIT EGJPTV[m] GEN[us] HORV[m] / P[er] CHR[istu]M LAVAC[r]O FUGIM[us] TENEBRAS UICJORVM (At the Baptism of Christ): HIC / EST / FILI[us] M[eu]S DILECTUS (Below): HIC BABTIZATUR CHR[istu]S QUO S[an]C[t]IFICATUR / NOB[is] BABTI[s]MA T[r]IBUENS IN FLAMJNE CRISMA (At Joshue's crossing of the Jordan): AD PAT[r]IA[m] IOSUE DVCE FLVMEN TRANSJT HEBREVS / DVCIMUR AD VITA[m], TE DVCE FONTE DEUS (On the lid): MVNDA UT JNMVNDA SACRI BAPTOSMATIS UNDA / SIC IVS TE FUSUS SANGUIS LAVACHRI TENET VSUS / PAS[t] LAVAT ATTRACTA LACRIMIS CONFESSIO FACTA / CRIMINE FEDATJS LAVACHRUM FIT OPUS PIETATIS+ (At Aaron rod): MOYSES / AARON (and in the phylactery): P[ro]PH[et]AM SVS[citabit] DE F[ratibus] V[estris] (and, below, king Salomon): SALOMON REX (holds a text): FLORES MEI FRUCTUS HONORIS ET HONESTATIS; (on the arch above): UIRGA VIGET FLORE PARIT ALMA VIGENTE PVDORE (At the massacre of the Innocents): HERODES / Q[u]OS DOLOR OSTENTAT CRVOR A CRVDELE CRUENTAT, (announced by Jeremiah): HIEREMIAS / P[ropheta] (in a phylactery): UOX I[n] RAMA AVD[ita], PLO[ratus] ET V[lulatus] / R[achel] P[lorans] F[ilios] S[uos] (At the Simon the pharisee): HIC SI E[ss]ET P[rop]H[et]A SCI[ret] V[tique] Q[ualis] ET / Q[uae] E[st] MV[lier] Q[uae] T[angit] E[um] (while the phylactery held by Jesus reads): REMITTVNTUR EI PECCATA MVLTA (and, at the arch above): SPE REFICIT PECTUS LACRJMJS A FLENTE REFECTUS. (Below is king David) D[avi]D / REX (holding a text): CIBAB[is] NOS P[an]E LA[crimarum] [et] PO[tum] D[abis] / N[obis] I[n] LA[crimis} I[n] M[en]S[ura] (The scene with mercy): MISERICORDIA (has on the arch above): +DAT UENI[am] SCELERIJ P[er] OPES INOPVM MISERERJ (below is Isaiah): YSAIAS P[ropheta] (holding the text): FRANGE ESVR[ient] PA[nem] T[uum] [et] EG[enos] / VA[gosque] IND[uc] I[n] DO[mum] T[uam] [?? PETRE CONFERT ISTUT TIBI DONUM UT PER TE SUMMUM POSSIT HABERE BONUM?? -- not found in Höhl (2009)]

Inscription Source: transcriptions are recorded in Robert Favreau's invaluable article "Les inscriptions..." (cf. Favreau (1985, p. 114-140) [NB: complemented here with the transcriptions in Höhl (2009)]

LID INFORMATION

Date: 1210-1250

Material: metal, bronze

Apparatus: Yes

REFERENCES

Addison, Julia de Wolf, Arts and crafts in the Middle Ages: a description of Medieval workmanship in several of the departments of applied art, together with some accounts of special artisans in the early Renaissance, Boston: L.C. Page & Company, 1914

Barnet, Peter, Medieval treasures from Hildesheim ; Catalog of an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, September 17, 2013-January 5, 2014., New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 2013

Bond, Francis, Fonts and Font Covers, London: Waterstone, 1985 c1908

Champeaux, Gérard de, Introduction au monde des symboles, La Pierre-qui-vire, Yonne: Zodiaque, 1972

Davies, J.G., The Architectural Setting of Baptism, London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1962

Didron, Ainé, "Bronzes et orfévrerie du Moyen Age", 19, Annales archéologiques, 1859, pp. 5-221; 178-187

Enlart, Camille, Manuel d'archéologie française depuis les temps mérovingiens jusqu'à la Renaissance, Paris: Alphonse Picard & fils, 1902

Favreau, Robert, "Inscription des fonts baptismaux d'Hildesheim", 38, 2, Cahiers de civilisation medievale, 1985, pp. 115-140; p. 114-140 (inscriptions)

Ghislain, Jean-Claude, "La cuve baptismale romane de Wauthier-Braine", VII, Annales du Cercle historique et folklorique de Braine-le-Château, Tubize et des Régions voisines, 1986, pp. 89-[120]; p. 95-96

Höhl, Claudia, Das Taufbecken des Wilbernus, mit Fotografien von Manfred Zimmermann, Regensburg: Schnell & Steiner, 2009

Lallov, William J., "The Font and the Baptistry", 3, Liturgical Arts, 1934, pp. 80-96; p. 89

Lasteyrie du Saillant, Robert Charles, conte de, Architecture réligieuse en France à l'époque gothique (éd. posthume par Marcel Aubert)[2 vols.], Paris: A. Picard, 1926-1927

Lübke, Wilhelm, Ecclesiastical in Gemany during the Middle Ages [tranl. by L. A. Wheatley], London: Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, 1870

Nordström, Folke, Mediaeval Baptismal Fonts: An Iconographical Study, Stockholm: Universitetet i Umeå, 1984

Schiller, Gertrud, Iconography of Christian Art, Greenwich, Conn.: New York Graphic Society, 1971

Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel, Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle, Paris: Morel & Cie, 1854-1868