Boulge

Parker (1855) notes: "The font, which stands near the west end, seem to be of early date; tha basin is square, and the pedestal round." Described in Eden (1909) as a baptismal font of the Tournai export group that had its outer decoration chiselled off. Fowler (1923) suggests it is missing the original outer colonnettes of its base. Cautley (1937- ) identfies it as a Purbeck font, whereas Dunning (1944) and Pevsner (1974) identify it as a Tournai font. Anderson (1999) questions the Tournai attribution. So does Drake (2002), who notes that the shape and other characteristics of this font do not support the claim that it is a re-cut Tournai font, and lists it instead as an English 'box font'. Drake (ibid.) further notes that, contrary to Fowler's suggestion [cf. supra], the basin and base lack the sockets required for the presence of outer colonnettes and states instead that "it is certain that it has always been a single-support font." Described and illustrated in Knott's Suffolk Churches [www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/boulge.html] [accessed 14 November 2004], who introduces yet another angle on this controversial font: "The black marble font, one of only eight in England. The rough cut of the sides makes them look white. There is some evidence that this font was once octagonal, and has been squared off. Traces of design survive." Listed in Friar (2003). Described and illustrated, with a brief literature review of the issues related to the identity of this font, in The Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland (2005) entry [www.crsbi.ac.uk/ed/sf/boulg/index.htm] [accessed 21 January 2007]; the CRSBI (ibid.) notes: "the font is normally dated after c.1165, and may be early 13thc", and adds that some repairs have been mader "in the SE and NW spandrels of the upper rim." The controversy noted above notwithstanding, the square basin matches roughly the regular 'table-top' desgin favoured by Tournai fonts, as well as the general table-top Norman design, and it is possible that it may have lost some of its original ornamentation; the basin is raised on a round pedestal base and a square lower base, the latter decorated with the usual roll moulding and 'spurs' at the angles. A modern flat cover appears on the basin.