Airaines

There is a drawing ["Encre sur papier calque collé sur papier blanc"] of this font executed ca. 1850 by Aimé Duthoit (1803-1869) and Louis Duthoit (1807-1874) now held at the Musée de Picardie, in Amiens [inventory no.: MP Duthoit X-18]. Noted and illustrated in Brutails (1893-1899. Enlart (1890), (1895) and (1902) lists it among a group of 11th century immersion fonts and describes it as rectangular and unmounted, with similar ornamentation as the round font from Samer (Pas-de-Calais), including a Baptism scene: "ils sont en calcaire oolithique du Boulonnais et que la grande cuve d'Airaines est non seulement du XIe siècle comme eux et faite de la même pierre, mais qu elle reproduit avec la similitude la plus frappante les mêmes figures et les mêmes ornements". The Marburg Index dates it tentatively to the early 12th century and Pudelko (1932) gives the first half of the 13th century and suggests Marquise stone. Lasteyrie (1929) concurs on the material, Marquise stone and dates it to the 11th century. He describes the figures as "affreux anthropoïdes dont je serai bien embarrassé de dire la signification." The dating to the 11th century was suggested by the Comité des travaux historiques in the Revue de l'art chrétien, v. 40, 1890, p. 415. [NB: the figures represented on this font are simian-like, although the general consensus is that they represent persons, even possibly catechumens, hence their presence on the baptismal font. There is a somewhat similar depiction of ape-like humans on a capital in the nave of the church of Saint-Martin in Ryes, Calvados; the three figures depicted on one of the capitals there have bow-legs, short-rounded trunks and "parenthetical" arms; those capitals have been dated to the early 11th century - cf. ill. in the Dictionnaire des églises... , 1966- , III B 148]. Described and illustrated in Oursel (1994) who suggestes the date of the consecration of the church, 1130, as that of this font and probably Samer's as well. Stocker (1997) suggests burial connotations of the rectangular shape in this and other French fonts (Amiens, Senlis). Noted and illustrated in Drake (2002), who describes it as an "outstanding example that has no siblings" [of the Marquise workshops]. Catalogued in Palissy [www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/palissy_fr] [accessed 6 August 2012] [ref.: PM80000091]: "La cuve est rectangulaire, cantonnée de colonnettes courtes, et couronnée d'une grosse torsade. [..] 11e siècle". Illustrated in Mémoire [www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/memoire_fr] [accesed 6 August 2012] [ref.: APMH00000032]. On-site notes: a large rectangular font with carved reliefs on the four sides of the basin; the corners of the basin have carved columns with ornamented capitals; the first long side has three figures full front with jug-ears, long faces and long hooked arms; a small dragon-like figure with a phallic tail appears on the top-right corner; the next side (L->R) of the rectangular basin has two more such figures, seated and their hands on their knees; above at the rim a thick rope motif; the next side has three other such figures, their arms hooked at their elbows; the fourth side has two such figures seated, hands on knees.. The thick base or plinth is also rectangular and the whole, basin and base, has a heavy, somewhat crude appearance; this plinth may have been reconstructed. The capitals of the columns show 1)two birds and a head, 2)foliage, 3)repeat of 1, and 4)repeat of 2. There is no font cover present now but there is a photograph by Camille Enlart [cf. ImagesArea] in which a double font cover, flat and plain, is seen on the font.