Hertogenbosch No. 1 / 's-Hertogenbosch / Bois-le-Duc / Bossche / Dem Bosch / Den Bosch / Des Hertogenbosch

Hermans (1855) writes about an unrivaled copper font at St-Janskerk, Bossche [i.e., Hertogenbosch] cast in 1492 by master Aert of Maastricht. The baptismal font and cover was made of copper by Aert van Tricht [aka Jehan Aert van Tricht / Aert van Tricht the Elder fl. ca. 1492-1501)]. Cloquet (1890) mentions a 16th century font in Bous-le-Duc "coulés par Jean Aert" [hence, metal] without any other information about it. The font itself consists of a dodecagonal basin with a rounded underbowl, plain but for a moulding at the upper rim; the base vonsists of a broad central shaft and twelve slender colonnettes, all with moulded capitals and bases, all around; additionally, there are twelve (?) male figures in diffrent attires and poses, mostly facing outwards, that form also part of the supporting structure, if the latter perhaps in a 'virtual' way, as the figures are probably too fragile to support any real weight; the lower base has small rounded platforms, one for each figure. The font cover, also in copper and by the same artist [cf. supra], consists of a dodecagonal dome that has the symbols of the four Evangelists on every third side; there is also one other figure at this level, to the right of Matthew's angel, that breaks the pattern; the figure is of a male figure dressed in a burgher's clothes and hat, seated nonchalantly with one leg over the other and holding his knee with his hands [is it Jehan Aert?]; on the second volume upwards is a crown-shaped base from which rises a high-Gothic canopy ot tracery open-work that houses the Baptism scene; the sides of the canopy itself are supported by the airiest of flying buttresses leaning on slender pillars with crocketed pinnacles; the third volume is another high-Gothic canopy, this one without the flying buttresses, which houses a crowned Madonne and Child, as well as two (?) other figures, one of whom is mitred and wears rich robes; atop this sits God the Father in a round canopy with open curtains; the finial has a mother pelican drawing blood from her own chest to feed her young; the hook-up to the wall-mounted crane is on the back of the pelican. The crane itself is a wall-mounted metal structure in the shape of an inverted L, profusely decorated with open-work floral tracery.