Mauran

A font in the parish church of Mauran appears listed in Renault's 1873 index (pp. 332 and 467) to vols. XXXI through XXXIX of the Bulletin monumental with reference to vol. XXXI, p. 145, where it is described as "Font baptismaux de l'ancienne église, ils sont romans et présentent beaucoup d'intérét". Noted in Adolphe Laurent Joanne's Géographie du département de la Haute-Garonne (Paris: Hachette, 1882): 56: "Dans l'église, fonts baptismaux avec bas-reliefs du XIIIe s." Described and illustrated in Espagnat (1911: 33-35). Described and illustrated in Mesplé (1970: 134-135 and fig. 4), who relates its ornamentation to that on the fonts at Lias and Cazères No.1 [cf. Index entries] and dates it accordingly to ca. 1320 [the date inscribed on the Cazères No. 1 font]. The site of the Mairie de Mauran [www.mairie-mauran31.fr/fr/le-village/historique.html] [accessed 17 May 2017] notes: "Cuve baptismale. Cette cuve du XIIIème siècle est conservée dans son nouveau sanctuaire qui est l’église de Mauran, au cœur du village. Elle provient de l’ancienne église romane de Saint-Martin. De forme décagonale, reposant sur un pied à colonnettes, elle est ornée d’un décor très symbolique, de style gothique, mêlant dragons, fleurons, étoiles, fleurs de lis, chrisme et frise végétale ondulée." Listed in Palissy [ref.: PM31000364] with date in the 14th century. On-site notes: this baptismal font stands surrounded by rubbish and construction rubble in an alcove to the right of the entrance of the new church, showing signs of bleaching (?) or paint on one of its sides. The sides of the decagonal basin are vertical and ornamented with varied motifs: 1)against the wall; 2)large bird; 3)band of zig-zag at the top, then a line of dots, and a band of foliage at the bottom; 4)chrismon with alpha on the left and omega on the right; 5)fleurdelysée Greek cross in a circle; 6)two rows of chevron motif, each pointing in a different direction, sandwiched between two bands of foliage; 7)three large fleurs-de-lis; 8)a Greek cross made of chevron motif has a different motif in each of the four spaces between the arms (clockwise from top left): crescent Moon, Sun, rosette, bird; 9)againts the wall; 10)against the wall. The rounded underbowl has also a motif in each panel: Star-of-David in a garland circle, circle filled with dog-tooth pattern, several fleurs-de-lis, winged dragon, six-petal flower in a circle. etc. The base is also decagonal and has a blind arcade of tall trefoil arches.