Ansekull / Anseküll / Anseküla / Ansekula

Image copyright © Kirjastus Kunst, 1975
PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE
Results: 39 records
B01: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B02: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B03: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B04: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B05: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B06: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B07: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B08: animal - mammal - lion? - passant
B09: animal - fabulous animal or monster - lion with human face? - passant
B10: animal - fabulous animal or monster - dragon
BBL01: design element - motifs - nail-head
BBU01: design element - motifs - nail-head
BS01: design element - motifs - plant
BS02: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS03: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS04: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS05: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS06: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS07: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS08: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BS09: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BU01: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BU02: head - grotesque or fantastic
BU03: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BU04: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BU05: head - grotesque or fantastic
BU06: head - grotesque or fantastic
BU07: head - grotesque or fantastic
BU08: animal - fabulous animal or monster
BU09: head - grotesque or fantastic
view of basin
view of basin - side 1
view of basin - side 2
view of basin - side 3
view of basin - side 4
view of basin - underbowl
view of font
view of font
INFORMATION
FontID: 08735ANS
Church/Chapel: Maarija Kirik
Church Patron Saints: St. Mary the Virgin
Country Name: Estonia
Location: Saaremaa, Saaremaa
Directions to Site: Located at the narrow isthmus that lies at the S of the island, between Kuresaare and Sääre [Saaremaa/Ösel is the largest of a number of islands located at the mouth of the Gulf of Riga, in the Baltic Sea, NE of Gotland]
Historical Region: Saaremaa Island / Osel island
Font Location in Church: Inside the church
Century and Period: 13th - 14th century, Transitional
Workshop/Group/Artisan: Fröjelgruppen?
Cognate Fonts: The font at Fröjel and the base of a font in the Gotland's Fornsalen Museum of Visby, may have related programs to the one on this font
Font Notes: Click to view font notes
Described and illustrated in Kjellin (1926) as a baptismal font of ca. 1200 [cf. Index entry for Fröjel for dating issue] originally made in Gotland. Kjellin (ibid.) studies the fabulous animal iconography of this font and suggests comparisons with the one on the Fröjel font [cf. Index entry] and with some of the motifs that appear on the base of a baptismal font now kept at the Fornsal Museum in Visby (Gotland). Described and illustrated in Tuulse (1949) [after Kjellin], who relates it to the 'Müschelcuppen' group. Noted and illustrated in Maiste (2007). The font consists of two parts: a decagonal basin decorated with fabulous animals and masks around the basin sides and underbowl, and a plain pedestal base, roughly conical, of the type commonly found in some of the Paradise font group; the basin side has a rampant dragon as the central motif; it is the only motif that stretches over both basin side and underbowl; the basin side contains nine irregular arches and/or circles that appear made of nail-head (?) motif; each arch contains a fabulous animal, all but one being quadrupeds in a passant pose and adorned with tails over the back in the manner commonly found in Romanesque lions; the odd one is also a quadruped but, unlike its neighbours, it has a grotesque quasi-human face and looks stright out although the body is in passant position; the spandrels between the arches/circles are occupied by eight grotesque heads standing on pillar-like stems; the odd one is a schematic plant motif; most have rather triangular heads with pointed ears and large almond-shaped eyes; the underbowl is decorated with nine grotesque motifs ranging from the humanoid mask to the totally whimsical avian types; the upper and lower sides of the basin have a thin band of nail-head motif all around between two flat mouldings. Although Kjellin follows Roosval et al. in the dating of this font, the fonts of this group should probably dated to the 14th century. [We are grateful to professor Øystein Hjort, Købenvns Universitet, for bringing this font to our attention and for the gift of Helge Kjellin's book].
MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS
Material:
stone, limestone
Number of Pieces: two
Font Shape: decagonal (mounted)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: decagonal
Rim Thickness: 7 cm
Diameter (inside rim): 64 cm
Diameter (includes rim): 88.5 cm
Basin Depth: 26 cm
Basin Total Height: 48.5 cm
Height of Base: 35 cm
Font Height (less Plinth): 83.5 cm [calculated]
Notes on Measurements: Kjellin (1926: 9); [also in Tuulse (1949), after Kjellin]
REFERENCES
Kjellin, Helge, En gotländsk fabeljursfunt på Ösel och en gammal handelsväg Österut, Stockholm: Särtryck ur Konsthistoriska Sällskapets Publikation (A.B. Sveriges Litografiska Tryckerier), 1925
Maiste, Juhan, Eesti kunsti lugu, Tallinn: Kirjastus Varrak, 2007
Tuulse, Armin, "Mittlealterliche Taufsteine in Estland", Apophoreta tartuensia: acta universitati tartuensi (dorpatensi) ad diem restitutionis kal. dec. MCMXIX nunc tricesimum celebrandum a professoribus discipulisque eorum in exilio dedicata = Pühendusteos: Eesti Vabriigi Tartu Ülikoolile tema avamise [...], Holmiae = Stockholm: Societas Litterarum Estonica in Svecia = Eesti Teaduslik Selts Rootsis, 1949