Talau / Talacho / Talaxo / Talaz / Talazo / Villa Talatio

In his Notes sur l'art réligieux du Roussillon 2e partie: l'ornementation (Bulletin archéologique du Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques, vol. 11, 1893: 361-362), Brutails mentions a number of ancient fonts, among which "A Talau et à Caudiès de Conflent, la cuve, moins renflée, porte des nervures, des boudins conduits en spirale qui se perdent dans un boudin de même dimension courant horizontalement à quelques centimètres de la tranche; entre les nervures sont taillées vers le haut des boutons ronds sertis dans un léger filet circulaire." One of several 11-12th century unmounted oval ("franchement ovales") font listed by Enlart (1902) [Thanks to M. Philippe Kempinaire for the complementary information sent]. Described and illustrated in Catalunya romànica (1984- , vol. VII: 297, 301). The sides of the tub-shaped font are ornamented with diagonal moudlings and a few large ball motifs; the mouldings appear to form shield-shapes at certain parts, but the surface is too eroded to be sure. The plain wooden cover is studded with point-up nails, a common practice in this area; a number (3) of round holes appear on the upper basin side, at the front, perhaps for securing the lock of the cover, although that is not the usual pattern of lock installation found in this area [usually a square inset]. The font itself is half-set in the wall.