Saint-Germain-en-Laye / St-Germain-en-Laye

Results: 9 records

INFORMATION

Font ID: 00319SAI
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 11th - 12th century, Romanesque
Museum: Museum des Antiquités Nationales, St-Germain-en-Laye (Chateau) / Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Church / Chapel Name: [see museum information]
Church Notes: The Musée des Antiquités Nationales is in the chateau itself. It opens Wed-Mon (tel. 34 51 53 65)
Church Address: Pl. Charles de Gaulle, 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France -- Tel.: +33 1 39 10 13 00
Site Location: Yvelines, Île-de-France, France, Europe
Directions to Site: St-Germain-en-Layeis located 19-20 km from Paris city centre -- it has express RER connection
Font Notes:
Two images from the Index of Christian Art show two sides of a font shaped like a capital; at the top, a flat rim like an abacus; at the corners, human figures; the first side shows an animal head (bull or cow?) with a round human head to either side; the two human heads plus those of the two corner figures on this side have round eyes, protruding ears and kinky hair; the second side has also human figures at the corners, though the left one is broken off; two very Norman-looking half-lions united at their backs having no hind quarters, although they appear to have entangled tails (these lions are remarkably like those portrayed on some Gotland fonts) (description based on Gischia, 1939, fig. 90 and 90a)

COORDINATES

UTM: 31U 433773 5416517
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 48.898056, 2.096389
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 48° 53′ 53″ N, 2° 5′ 47″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, type unknown
Number of Pieces: one
Font Shape: trapezoidal
Basin Exterior Shape: trapezoidal
Drainage System: The font appears to have a whole on the side but it is unlikely that was the original drainage.

REFERENCES

  • Gischia, Arts primitifs français, Paris: Éditions arts et métiers graphiques, 1939, fig. 90 & 90a
  • Index of Medieval Art, The Index of Medieval Art, Index of Christian Art, Princeton, [s.d.]. URL: https://theindex.princeton.edu/.