Rocquancourt / Rokencort

Listed and illustrated in Lasteyrie (1929) as one of a group of early -11th-12th century- French fonts of tub-shape design; this one has a large and very regular pattern of interlace with three-strand bands, their upper and lower loops crossed by another three-strand band, one at top and the other at the bottom of the basin. One of the sides of the basin shows considerable damage. The font is listed in Lasteyrie's time [ca. 1929] at the Musée de la Société française d'archéologie in Caen. [NB: there is another early font, an octagonal lead font, listed by Enlart (1902) and Huard (1928) at the "Musée de Caen." - cf. Index entry for Le Mesnil-Mauger]. Huard (1928: 90-91) describes it as an unmounted circular bowl, limestone, probably of the 12th century; it has interlace ornamentation and Huard places it at the Musée de la Société des antiquaires de Normandie [Caen, Calvados]. The web site www.mondes-normands.caen.fr describes and illustrates the font and gives the location as the Musée de Normandie, where it is on deposit by the Société des antiquaires de Normandie; it is described as of a typical Norman design of which only two have survived in France -Rocquancourt (Calvados) and Montebourg (Manche) [cf. Index entry]- but "more numerous examples survive in England". The cylindrical font is ornamented with an "interlacing motif in groups of eight knots [that] could be a symbolic reference to eternity linked to the rite of baptism" (ibid.); the font appears with significant damage at the upper rim, but the interlace ornamentation is well preserved. Described in 'Les siècles romans en Basse-Normandie' (1985: 133 no. 367) [NB: the name of the Museum has changed several times since the late 19th century, hence the different references] [photographs of this font can be seen at: www.norman-world.com/angleterre/archeo/Nirmandie/mdn/dsan/roman/rocquancourt/1218_052n.htm]