Cholula No. 1

De La Maza (1959) describes a holy-water stoup in the Capilla Real, a building constructed adjacent to the Convento Franciscano de San Gabriel: "La pila de agua bendita es monumental, de un solo cuerpo de piedra, como todas las del siglo XVI. Después de la base, al iniciarse la copa, lleva una faja de acantos; después otra de flores y hojas, luego una de molduración sencilla y otra con vegetales distinta de la segunda; en el borde el indispensable cordón franciscano. Una cosa extraña es que esa mole pesadísima lleve agarraderas, como si fuese posible que con ellas pudiera ser removida de su sitio" [=the holy-water stoup is very large, and monolithic, as are all the ones from the 16th century. Above the base, a band of acanthus foliage on the underbowl;above that a band of flowers and leaves, followed by a simple moulding and a band of vegetation diffrerent from the other; at the upper rim is the ubiquitous Franciscan rope-belt. It is rather odd that such a heavy block is provided with handles, as if they could be used to lift the stoup off the ground]. [NB: handles carved on font or stoup sides are found on earlier and later fonts, their presence more decorative than functional, and perhaps a throw back at the wooden or metal fonts which had them for a practical purpose]. Although we have not been able to secure the measurements of this object, it does appear large enough to serve as baptismal font; this is the case of some stoups, especially in Meso-American churches, perhaps in imitation of the larger stoups found in cathedrals and other large and rich churchs.