Assel / Asele

Noted and illustrated in Schulin [https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/6951/1/Schulin_Taufbecken_in_Deutschland_2021.pdf] [accessed 19 October 2023] as a mid-13th century baptismal font with a scene of the Expulsion from Paradise, unfortunately badly damaged. Baptismal font of stone, monolithic, the basin round and tapering slightly inwards towards the base; round mouldings at top rim and lower end, thought the latter could be a reconstuction; at the upper rim signs of repair and metal staples of an old cover; there is a metal insert of roughly hemispherical shape, of unknown date; it has been altered with the addition of a frame to support the use of a baptismal dish, as it ofetn happens on northern fonts; the outer sides of the basin are decorated with a set of round arches supported on plain columns with capitals and bases; in the spandrels of the arcade are heads that appear to be representation of angels with wings extending over the arches [NB: the surface is very worn and identification is tentative at best]; the eight arches contain scenes within [L->R] all identifications tentative]: 1) Baptism of Christ; 2) Annunciation to the Shepherds; 3) Annunciation to Mary; 4) Sacrifice of Isaac; 5) Ascension; 6) Expulsion from Paradise; 7) Majestas Domini, with two unidentified figures at Christ's feet; 8) winged figure [angel?] holding large lance and standing on a wheel; the lower area below the scenes and figures is populated with pairs of quadrupeds, perhaps lions that appear to ambulate nonchalantly in both directions. The sides of the font bear traces of several hues of old paint. The font cover is small and round, with moulded upper surfaces and a turned finial/handle; painted; appears modern. The German Wikipedia entry for this church [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Mauritius_und_Martin_(Assel)] [accessed 19 October 2023] reports a mid-13th century font with full figures inside eight arches ["Das Taufbecken ist in der Mitte des 13. Jahrhunderts gefertigt worden. In acht rundbogigen Wandnischen sind zwischen Säulen, darin vollplastische Figuren dargestellt."] [NB: the source may be Dehio-Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler, Bremen, Niedersachsen. Deutscher Kunstverlag, München 1992: 325]. There is an older font cover suspended from the ceiling above the font; it consists of a hexagonal (inside & out) lower end platform on which stand six scrolled ribs in the shape of stylised dolphins that support a smaller hexagonal section to a finial connected with a cable connected to the ceiling; this font is brightly painted and bears an inscription with the date and the names of the donors ["Anno Domino 1685 haben etliche Liebhaber Gottes in hiesiger Gemeinde diesen Deckel aus christmilder Freygebigkeit verehret, gemacht zu Stade von Hinrich Uhrig, Hans Bältger, Hamburg"] [NB: it appears to be an odd choice for the present circular font, but it may have been intended for whatever font was used in the past when the medieval font was removed the church [cf. Impressions and Ideas field]].