Hanzinne No. 1 / Anzenne / Hanzinnes

Fragments of a Romanesque baptismal font originally from Hanzinne are reported in the section "Antiquités" in the Société Archéologique (Namur)'s Rapport sur la situation de la Société pendant l'anné 1870. Présente par Mr le Président dans l assemblée générale du 16 lévrier 1871, p. 251. Enlart (1902) lists this font with the Tournai fonts that have a five-column support [Enlart is notoriously inaccurate in the details, as are Bond's references to these fonts, since they are drawn directly from Enlart]. Nordström (1984) notes the symbols of the four Evangelists on the upper edge of the basin; he also informs that "in the scene next to the Baptism of Christ, the three Marys are seen standing behind the empty tomb, and the angel of the Resurrection is giving its message on the left." Noted in Ghislain (1986) as one of a handful of the Mosan-namurois fonts [Bastogne, Gentinnes, et Hanzinne, Hour and Saint-Séverin en Condroz] without arcade ornamentation; Ghislain (ibid) further notes that the ornamentation of this font harks back at Tournai models. Described and illustrated in Barral i Altet (1989). In Drake (2002) listed as the fragments of a Mosan font, a square basin on a single support base. Colman & Colman (2002) date this font to ca. 1130 and note that there is fragment in the Musee communal de Louvain which should be similar to it. Described and illustrated illustrated in Ghislain (2009) as fragments of the basin of a baptismal font of the Namurois group, filiation de Saint-Séverin-en-Condroz, made of limestone (calcaire de Meuse) ca. 1155-1160; the fragments are described as being part of scenes of the Nativity, Flight to Egypt, Three Marys at the Tombm, and the Baptism of Christ. Ghislain (ibid.) notes that the font consisted originally of a square basin resting on five columns (one broad central shaft and four angle colonnettes); the upper surface of the basin had four angle spandrels with the symbols of the four Evangelists, which, although damaged, have survived; enough of the upper rim of the basin has survived for Ghislain (ibid.) to identify a foliated decoration all around, and he remarks on the detail similarities with other fonts of the Namurois: Merksem, Gentinnes, Bouvignes, Sclayn, etc. The entry in the Museum's bried on-line guide [https://www.museedesartsanciens.be/documents/fichier/1/15/20180206_164057petitexplorateur_volet_adulte_explo.pdf] [accessed 26 February 2020] notes: "Le matériau utilisé ici est du calcaire de Meuse, reconnaissable à ses reflets bleutés. Nous sommes à l’époque des croisades (1095-1291) et certaines influences orientales apparaissent dans les représentations imagées. C’est le cas de la scène de la Nativité : le fait de présenter l’enfant emmailloté, séparé de sa mère et placé dans une mangeoire démontre une influence syrienne. On retrouve fréquemment ces influences dans des dessins et miniatures de l’époque en pays mosan. Le palmier de La fuite en Egypte montre également la connaissance d’arbres exotiques. L’épisode du Baptême du Christ, scène la plus endommagée, est un classique de l’iconographie byzan-tine : l’eau du Jourdain dessine un hémisphère solide au-tour du Christ, tandis que l’ange tient un drap lui couvrant les mains. Quant au sujet des Saintes femmes au tombeau, il est traité en toute sobriété, ce qui donne force à la scène. Datation : XIIe siècle." Pubben (2019) writes: "Aftercomparing the decorations on the baptismal font in Maastricht and Brussels with 50 fonts attributed to the Tournai School and 150 fonts attributed to the Mosan School, it became clearthat there were significant similarities between thisfont and four Mosan fonts: the ones in Saint-Séverin-en-Condroz, Hanzinne, Sclayn en Gentinnes. These five fonts can be seen as an exceptional category within the Mosan School, because of their lavishly decorated bowls and intricate and complex iconographies. That the font is probably part ofthe Mosan School corresponds with Ghislains conclusions and the results of the geological examinations done bythe KIK-IRPA in 1970."