Heeswijk No. 2 / Heeswijk-Dinther / Kasteel Heeswijk

One of two baptismal fonts displayed in Kasteel Heeswijk, now a museum; this font is of composite appearance, a late-Gothic (?) octagonal basin with four heads at 90-degree angles on the basin sides, a plain rounded underbowl below, a common font design in the area; it is raised on two stone blocks that are uncharacteristic of this type of font, and have probably put together for the display without consideration for their authenticity. We have no information on the original church where the font came from. The basin is badly damaged, one of the heads broken off, two others damaged, a fourth probably a later addition. In his visit to the Kasteel on 18 May 2015 Joost Limburgh [www.romanicoportugal.info/zdutchfonts.htm] found the font now kept outside, the basin on the grounds, the pedestal base in a patio (?). [NB: BSI sent a request to the management at the Kasteel to consider keeping these objects under protection of the elements before they are totally destroyed]. A communication from Pol Herman to BSI (e-mail of 9 February 2022) refers to the Handelingen van het provinciaal genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen in Noordbrabant, over het jaar 1859, ’s Hertogenbosch, Gebroeders Muller, Uitgevers van het Genootschap, 1859, in which Peter Norbertus Panken reports a number of fonts similar to the one in Lage-Mierde [cf. BSI entry], those at Vessem, Diessen, Middelbeers, Bladel, Netersel, Casteren, today used as stoups; he also includes the font at Heese in this group. Pol Herman refers additionally to Geschiedenis van Noordbrabant, a set of handwritten notes by Peter Norbertus Panken of Bergeik in 1898, in which he informs: After the remarkable stone baptismal font had served as a holy water font in the barn church and again in the old parish church, it was expelled from it in 18.. and placed in the churchyard at the church. In 1882 she was sold for ƒ 30 to the baron van den Bogaerd in Heeswijk for the decoration of his famous collection of antiquities. The font actually consists of three parts. The vessel or upper part is one meter in diameter, externally 0.86 M., internal 0.71 M. high, the walls are 0.31 thick. On this one sees four heads or human heads 0.39 m from each other, between which sculpture has been carved. All parts of the font consist of bright blue stone [="Vessem. 15e eeuw. Nadat de merkwaardige steenen doopvont in de schuurkerk en voorts weder in de oude parochiekerk als wijwatervat verstrekt had, werd zij in 18.. daaruit verstooten en op het kerkhof aan de kerk gelegd. In 1882 is zij voor ƒ 30 aan den baron van den Bogaerd te Heeswijk der versiering zijner beroemde verzameling oudheden verkocht. De vont bestaat eigenlijk uit drie deelen. Het vat of bovenste gedeelte is een Meter in doorsnede, uitwendig 0,86 M., inwendig 0,71 M. hoog, de wanden zijn 0,31 dik. Hierop ziet men bezijden vier koppen of menschenhoofden 0,39 M. van elkander , tusschen welke beeldwerk uitgehouwen is. Alle deelen der vont bestaan uit gaven blauwen hardsteen].