Saint-Priest-sur-Vienne No. 1 / Saint-Priest-sous-Aixe / St-Priest-sous-Aixe
Results: 3 records
B01: design element - motifs - spiral
B02: symbol - clover
INFORMATION
FontID: 04089PRI
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Church/Chapel: Eglise paroissiale
Church Patron Saints: St. Priest [aka Praejectus, Prejectus, Projectus, Pry]
Country Name: France
Location: Haute-Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Directions to Site: Located E of Limoges, NE of Aixe-sur-Vienne
Font Location in Church: Inside the church
Century and Period: 13th - 14th century, Gothic
Font Notes:
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Described in the Dictionnaire des églises... (1966-) as a beautiful polygonal holy-water stoup in granite; it is ornamented with spirals, clover and other leaves. On-site notes: there are several reasons why this object may be seen as a stoup rather than a font, including that its inner well has been cemented over to a much shallower depth and that it has lost its original base, being now fitted with a short irregular block much too low for the basin. The basin is polygonal, with 14 or 15 sides and 15-22 panels (it is difficult to figure out how many are hidden in the part against the wall) ornamented with varied motifs which often run on to the next panel/s: foliage of several types, parallel lines, a large "X", etc. The carving is crude and gives the font an archaic look, but it is probably date to the 13th or 14th century.
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material: stone, granite
Number of Pieces: two
Font Shape: polygonal (mounted) (14 or 15 sides)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: polygonal
Drainage Notes: the well has been filled with concrete; the drain may have thus been covered
Rim Thickness: 13-15 cm
Diameter (inside rim): 63-64 cm
Diameter (includes rim): 89-91 cm
Basin Depth: 21 cm*
Basin Total Height: 58 cm
Height of Base: 20 cm**
Font Height (less Plinth): 78 cm**
Notes on Measurements: BSI *[NB: the basin well has been refilled with concrete] - **[the height of the present base and the total height are not normal for this type of basin]
REFERENCES
Dictionnaire des églises de France, Belgique, Luxembourg, Suisse, Paris: R. Laffont, 1966-