Narzana / Santa Maria de Narzana

Three objects reported in the church of Santa María de Narzana, near Sariego. The lagest is a plain rectangular tub with a drain hole in the centre of the basin; it appears to have been a washing tub and very unlikely to have ever served as a font [NB: had this object been found in or near the Aran Valley, there could possibly have been an association with the 'oil fonts' but we have no reports of any such having ever been used or found in this area of Spain]. The other two objects are crudely produced round basins of some sort, more likely to have served as mortars than holy-water stoups; one of them is in fair shape, the other badly chipped (if it was ever finished). These are the type of objects that appear gathered in or near churches but the liturgical relevance of which is doubtful. Bond (1908) warned against giving much credibility to any claims of service as liturgical objects. A news item on this church was published in www.lne.es/sociedad-cultura/2011/08/21/luis-menendez-pidal-encargo-dirigir-restauracion-anos-sesenta/1118779.html [accessed 24 November 2011]