Puycasquier / Puicasquèr

One of several French lead fonts made of several welded plates and decorated with a blind arcade ornamentation around the basin sides. Enlart (1902) dates it to the 13th century. Corblet describes this font as a cylindrical basin with two registers of ornamentation, both with the same program: an archer "en surcot" fires an arrow at a passant lion, an ostriche or swan holds a fruit in its beak, and there are palmette motifs alternating with three fleur-de-lis. One of Corblet's sources, Eug. Rous [cf. Notes by authors] dates the font to the 7th century; his other source, the reverend Bach [ibid.], dates it to the 12th century, a date Corblet thinks as more appropriate. Both Rous and Bach have their own personal interpretation of this program, which Corblet records. (Corblet, 1881-1882, v. 2, p. 126). Lasteyrie (1926-1927) doubts that the font dates any earlier than the 14th century despite its archaic appearance, and mentions that there are seven ornamentation panels which repeat themselves around the basin sides. Listed in Palissy [ref.: PM32000330]: "Cuve baptismale [plomb] décorée d'une ornementation estampée dont le motif, qui se répète, est une châsse [...] 13e siècle." This font is made of several plates of set design repeated around the basin with soldering showing at the edges; it is apparent that some of the plates on this font were made using the same moulds used at Lombez, Pébées, Pycasquier, Sabonnères, Saiguède and others.