Curdworth / Credeworde

There is an entry for Curdworth [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [http://domesdaymap.co.uk/place/SP1792/curdworth/] [accessed 2 November 2014], but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. On-site notes: this "puzzle" font is a strange-looking construct, somewhat aiming at a general chalice-shape; the upper part is a basin with its upper rim missing (5-10 cm?) and with a most interesting iconographic programme which includes several robed figures, obviously clerics, an Agnus Dei, a leonine head, a crouching figure and more [cf. infra for Bond's description and identification of the figures].; the centre part of the font is an octagonal ring totally out of place with the other parts; the base is an inverted and re-used font basin, totally plain except for a torus at what was originally its upper rim. Although Bond appears to indicate [cf. infra] that the bowl which now makes up the base was the earlier one of the two, it is not clear that it is of an earlier date than the present basin. If the Norman basin was, as has been acknowledged [see Bond, etc.], buried during Puritan times, it is quite possible that the present base, almost totally plain and therefore more acceptable to the "bare" Puritanical taste, may be of later manufacture, or simply a recycled basin from another church. Bond gives a detailed account of this important font and acknowledges the contribution to its study by F.T.S. Houghton. The font was found beneath the floor of the church and has two parts: "the rude bowl which now, inverted, forms its base, having previously served as font". The present basin is obviously missing its upper part since most of the scenes and figures are missing their upper portions. The details of the basin sides are given by Bond (1908) as follows: 1)north: there is a lower part of a winged dragon and, on the left side, a male figure; 2)south: two human figures, male, clean-shaven, dressed in capes or mantles, each holding a book in the left hand while the right is raised in benediction; 3)two other such figures, though not identical; the north-west corner has a similar figure but his hands are bound -- Bond (ibid.) suggests that it may represent St. Peter in chains and explains that the Curdworth church, now dedicated to St Nicholas, was formerly dedicated to St Peter ad vincula, hence the image). The basin has a thick rope motif all around framing the bottom of the carved sides. Bond (ibid.) mentions the similarity of this style of carving and manner of the dress with the 8th-century Saxon cross at Hoddam, Dumfriesshire, as well as to the one at Invergowrie which is dated later. Wall (1912) lists the font at Curdworth among the Saxon or Saxon-type fonts and refers to the cult of St. Peter ad vincula to explain the bound corner figure; Wall describes the north side scene as a dragon that "attacks a man in an attempt to drag him to perdition" and counterposes this scene with the one on the east side, where "he is cast into the infernal regions by the Lamb of God". Tyrrell-Green (1928) describes this basin as "another curious example of rude and early figure-sculpture". Pudelko (1932) dates it to the first quarter of the 13th century. The Victoria County History (Warwick, vol. 4, 1947) notes: "The chancel and nave were built soon after the middle of the 12th century. [...] The original nave was only about two-thirds of the present length [...] In 1895 the church was again restored, the windows being restored or opened out and new roofs of higher pitch constructed. The interesting carved font-bowl was then discovered buried below the floor and restored to use [...] The font has a crudely carved bowl of the 12th century, the upper part of square plan with rounded angles, the lower edge circular with a cable edge-roll. The top has been cut down, removing heads and other parts of the carving. On the east face is a Paschal Lamb and below it a grotesque face with open mouth, and two vertical leaves. At the north-east angle in bold relief is the demi-figure of a man, his right hand resting on his hip, his left holding up an object that is now mostly missing. The north side has a winged monster (head gone) and below it three vertical leaves. At the north-west angle is a figure, possibly an ecclesiastic (head missing). On the west and south sides are (each) two figures of men holding books, probably Evangelists. The south-west angle is defaced. The south-east angle has apparently a figure in a cope with hands in prayer. The stem is modern. The base is the inverted bowl of another 12th-century font, roughly cup-shaped with a roll edge at the top. In the porch is a loose square bowl of stone." In a reference to the font at Kastlosa (Oland) Nordström (1984) writes about a devil talking to a head on the base of that font and mentions "a similar motif" on the Curdworth font, in England. Davidson (1985) gives the date of the font as "c.1050" without further specfication, and describes its iconography thus: "Lamb over open hell mouth, flaming (=Satan?), upon which hind feet are placed. Parts of cross & head are missing". Davidson (ibid.) questions the identification of St. Peter: "This identification is, however, far from certain, since what appears to be chains may be only decorated sleeves". Described and illustrated in the CRSBI (2014). Listed in Stocker (1997) as a "deep burial" instance in his listing of "font bowls reportedly discovered under church floors and set beneath successors."