Santes Creus No. 1 / Aiguamurcia / Aiguamúrcia

Described and illustrated in Catalunya romànica (1984, vol. XXI: 91, 203): basin from a baptismal font of the early 13th century, originally from the parish church of Santes Creus, Tarragona province, now [since before 1915] in the Museo Diocesano / Museu Diocesà de Tarragona [the label in the museum states that the font is from the monastery, not the parish church at Santes Creus]; the sides of the hemispherical basin are ornamented with -at least- one prominent knob and semicircle [ball-in-socket? fist with handle?] motif on the upper side; next to it there is an indentation or hole a few inches wide [NB: similar indentations are found in fonts on both side of the Catalan Pyrenees; they usually serve to place the metal lock of the cover, although this particular one appears farther down, about the middle of the side, as if it could have been used to lift the font?]; a band of low-relief with a vine motif between two roll mouldings ornaments the underbowl. Traces of red and blue paint are reported in the grooves of the carving. The font was acquired by the museum before 1915 and is now [2004] in this same museum, in Tarragona capital. [NB: a holy-water stoup from Rocallaura, in La Segarra, is displayed next to the font in this museum -- cf. Index entry for Rocallaura]