Erlon
Image copyright © [in the public domain]
PD
Results: 4 records
design element - motifs - foliage - in a circle
Scene Description: ringlet with foliage/fruit; several on the sides, between the heads; there is also another motif -trident or tree like- on one of the sides
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © [in the public domain]
Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Corblet (1881: v. 2, p. 120) after Fleury (1878-1882, pt. 2: fig. 345)
Copyright Instructions: PD
human figure - head - 4
Scene Description: at 90-degree angles on the basin sides
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © [in the public domain]
Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Corblet (1881: v. 2, p. 120) after Fleury (1878-1882, pt. 2: fig. 345)
Copyright Instructions: PD
view of basin
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © [in the public domain]
Image Source: digital image of an illustration in Corblet (1881: v. 2, p. 120) after Fleury (1878-1882, pt. 2: fig. 345)
Copyright Instructions: PD
view of church exterior - northwest view
Scene Description: Source caption: "Erlon (Aisne) église"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © [in the public domain]
Image Source: digital photograph 18 June 2014 by Havang(nl) [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Erlon_(Aisne)_église_(02).JPG] [accessed 21 April 2023]
Copyright Instructions: CC-Zero
INFORMATION
Font ID: 00803ERL
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 12th - 13th century, Romanesque
Workshop/Group/Artisan: Mosan type
Cognate Fonts: Prouvais, Bosmont, Corbeny, Boulfinereux, etc.
Church / Chapel Name: Église paroissiale de la Visitation-de-la-Sainte-Vierge
Font Location in Church: Inside the church?
Church Patron Saint(s): The Visitation of St. Mary
Church Address: 02250 Erlon, France
Site Location: Aisne, Hauts-de-France, France, Europe
Directions to Site: Located at the D63-D645 crossroads, SW of Marle, in the arrondissement and NNE of Laon
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocèse de Soissons, Laon et Saint-Quentin
Historical Region: Pays de la Serre -- Thiérache / Picardie
Additional Comments: removed font / disused font (used for some time as base to the cemetery cross) -- restored font
Font Notes:
Click to view
Fleury (1878-1882) writes of a group of fonts that have similar vine motifs: those at Corbeny, Erlon, Neuve-Maison and Nouvion-le-Vineux. Described in Ledouble (1880) : "Cuve baptismale antérieure au XIIe siècle; elle est en forme de corbeille et est ornée de quatre figures perdues dans des enroulements de feuillages." Cloquet (1895) includes it among the round fonts of the Mosan type with four heads, at 90-degree angles, on the basin sides. Enlart (1902) and Bond (1908) [after Enlart] have it among the Tournai fonts. Corblet (1881-1882) dates it to the 11th century. Like the font at nearby Corbeny, it has foliage/fruit circles between the heads (only two on each side in this font). Marq (1896) writes: "L'église d'Erlon n'a aucun style; elle est de forme régulière, et présente dans son ensemble une nef, deux bas-côtés et le chœur. Elle a peut-être, avant la Révolution, été décorée de peintures murales, mais comme elle a servi d'atelier de salpêtre en 1793, il a fallu pour la rendre au culte la rebadigeonner de fond en comble et renouveler entièrement le dallage. Son mobilier n'a rien de curieux, sauf deux antiques statues de bois. On y remarquait autrefois une belle cuve baptismale du XIIe siècle, qui a été enlevée pour servir de piédestal à la croix du cimetière." A drawing listed and illustrated in Archives Aisne [https://archives.aisne.fr/archive/resultats/transversale/images/formselector:1/n:169?RECH_S=erlon+fonts+baptismaux&RECH_SELECTOR%5B0%5D=archives&RECH_SELECTOR%5B1%5D=contenus&RECH_SELECTOR%5B2%5D=images&type=transversale] [accessed 10 June 2025] as: "fonts baptismaux / croix / cimetière" illustrates an object shown apparently upside down: the base, now at the top, is round and plain, without e centre hole; the top, now at bottom, appears square, this suggesting a capital shape, with a side measurement of 90 cm [i.e: 90 x 90}, which could be the right side for a baptismal font basin.
A communication from Pol Herman (e-mail of 17 June 2025) notes an interesting comparison of this object with the baptismal font at Bosmont -sur-Serre [cf. BSI entry]: "Now there is some very strange link between Erlon 00803ERL and Bosmont-sur-Serre (02861BOS) [...] These villages are only 12 kilometres apart. The baptismal font of Bosmont-sur-Serre is Palissy PM02002188. "Description : Simples décorations végétales. Forme d'un chapiteau renversé orné de feuillage ; antérieure au XIIe siècle.""
Pol Herman provides an image of the Bosmont font that appears to be identical to that of Erlon.
The 19th century information is very confusing, I suppose only a visit to the churches could shed some light ?
A communication from Pol Herman (e-mail of 17 June 2025) notes an interesting comparison of this object with the baptismal font at Bosmont -sur-Serre [cf. BSI entry]: "Now there is some very strange link between Erlon 00803ERL and Bosmont-sur-Serre (02861BOS) [...] These villages are only 12 kilometres apart. The baptismal font of Bosmont-sur-Serre is Palissy PM02002188. "Description : Simples décorations végétales. Forme d'un chapiteau renversé orné de feuillage ; antérieure au XIIe siècle.""
Pol Herman provides an image of the Bosmont font that appears to be identical to that of Erlon.
The 19th century information is very confusing, I suppose only a visit to the churches could shed some light ?
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for his help in documenting these objects
COORDINATES
UTM: 31U 551611 5508727
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 49.728825, 3.716128
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 49° 43′ 43.77″ N, 3° 42′ 58.06″ E
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, pierre mosan
Font Shape: pedestal font
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: round
REFERENCES
- Bond, Francis, Fonts and Font Covers, London: Waterstone, 1985 c1908, p. 205
- Cloquet, Louis, "Fonts de baptême romans de Tournai", 45, Revue de l'art chrétien, 1895, pp. 308-320; p. 318
- Corblet, Jules, Histoire dogmatique, liturgique et archéologique du sacrement de baptême, Paris: V. Palme, 1881-1882, vol. 2, p. 120
- Eden, Cecil H., Black Tournai Fonts in England, London: E. Stock, 1909, p. [29]
- Enlart, Camille, Manuel d'archéologie française depuis les temps mérovingiens jusqu'à la Renaissance, Paris: Alphonse Picard & fils, 1902, p. 777 footnote 1; p. 782 footnote 2
- Fleury, Edouard, La France archéologique: antiquités et monuments du département de l'Aisne (4e partie), Laon: Chez H. Menu, librarire, 1878-1882, pt. 2: 275 and fig 345
- Ledouble, Joseph, abbé, Etat religieux ancien & moderne des pays qui forment aujourd'hui le diocèse de Soissons, Soissons: se trouve chez l'auteur [...] ou chex le principaux librarires au département, 1880, p. 538