Acre No. 2 / ʻAkko / Acca / Accho / Acco / Ace / Akko / St. John of Acre / St-Jean d'Acre

Described and illustrated in Barasch (1971) as a "small vessel [...] found in Acre, a work of Crusader sculpture of the early twelfth century [...] Our vessel was found in a garden not far from the crypt [of St. John in Acre]. However, no proof, or clear indication was found enabling us to assume that the vessel has been taken from the crypt." Barasch (ibid.) notes the spout on the upper rim and adds that it is "a feature often found in twelfth century piscinae", which may put in question the original function of the object. Barasch (ibid.) notes that this object shares "certain common artistic elements and perhaps also a common spiritual background" with the stoup at Chamalières [cf. Index entry for Chamalières-sur-Loire], Cluny [cf. Index entry for Cluny, St-Marcel (Saône-et-Loire)], Charenge [cf. Index entry for Chéreng (Nord)], in France. Barasch (ibid.) further adds "interesting examples of holy-water basins or baptismal fonts decorated with carved heads originally from Italy, especially from the Adriatic coastal districts", and notes those in Torcello, Borgo San Donnino, Soleto and Pomposa. Barasch (ibid.) also points out several other references in architecture (capitals, corbels, etc.), and concludes that "the physiognomic and the floral symbolism express the death and the rebirth implied in the holy-water of baptism and salvation." Barasch (ibid.) remarks on the similarties of the Acre basin heads with those on some fragments originally from the cathedral of Monopoli (Apulia, Italy), other examples from Bari it, Modena, etc., and, in the strength of these similarities, further concludes: "it seems possible that an early twelfth century artist belonging to the group of the Bari-Monopoli master travelled to the Holy Land where he carved the Acre basin". The basin could have been the right shape for a holy-water stoup basin, except for the upper drainage spout; also most piscinae would normally drain the water from the bottom, rather than the upper rim] [cf. Index entry for Acre No. 1 for another stoup probably of the same period from this location]