Brutelles / Broutelles / Broutelles-Notre-Dame / Brutelle

Noted in Roger [et al.] (1844) as a very ancient baptismal font decorated with eight shafts among which appear animals, strange reptiles with floriated tail ends; it is further notes that much money has been offered for this font by antiquities dealers [="On y voit des fonts baptismaux qui semblent remonter à une époque fort reculée. Ces fonts sont ornés de huit colonnes entre lesquelles existent des animaux, reptiles bizarres dont les queues se terminent en feuilles et en fleurs. Des amateurs d'antiquités en ont offert, dit-on, une somme assez considérable" [the entry is footnoted: "Renseignements communiqués par M. Boîstel, desservant de Brutelle"]. Joanne's guide to Normandie (1867) reports a sculpted font of the Renaissance in this church. Catalogued and illustrated in Mémoire [No. DSF 3018 P -- ref.: APDSF3018]. Illustrated in Richesses en Somme [www.richesses-en-somme.com/patrimoine-des-églises/fonts-baptismaux/] [accessed 3 August 2012]. The font consists of a polygonal [octagonal?] basin with vertical sides separated by thin columns at the angles; a wide moulding at the upper rim; the [some?] panels have pairs of fabulous animals done in fine detail; the lower part of the panel frames have carved animals as well; the columns at the angles are carved with complex geometrical patterns and have caps or pinnacles at the top; the pedestal base has a plain cylindrical stem and an octagonal lower base with graded mouldings. There are metal staples in the upper rim of the basin, part of the cover hardware. The cover itself is octagonal, flat and plain, but has a statue on it that may or may not be part of it.