Becherel No. 2 / Béchérel

The second of two former baptismal fonts (?) kept in the narthex. This one, to the right of the door was being used as a flower-pot, although the disinterested "curé" said it was just a holy-water stoup [on-site notes, June 2000]. Like its companion to the left of the entrance, it must have lost its upper base, for it stands only 70 cm tall. Listed in Palissy [ref.: IM35001211]: "fonts baptismaux (?) [...] granite [...] 12e siècle [...] ornementation (tête : homme, dents de scie : en bordure) [...] Oeuvre servant de vasque sur un socle moderne". Le patrimoine des communes d'Ille-et-Vilaine (2000) reports it as the only remnant of the old church. The basin is ornamented with four crude heads, at 90-degree angles on the upper rim, and a narrow band of zig-zag running between them; the upper surface of the basin shows the circular indentation made for the cover; the lower base is modern, a squat octagonal-to-square volume. This rather crude font is very likely the work of a local workshop, and its suggested date would coincide roughly with that of the original priory church that was destroyed. [cf. Index entry for Becherel No. 1 for a later font also in this church].