Vaassen / Vaossen / Voassen

Eyck (1846) notes a fragment of a font, a square base with curled ends, which he dates as probably of the 12th century [NB: the type opf scroll-tipped ends on a font base are not likely 12th-century; perhaps 16th, or later? Unless Eyck's drawing was way off in its rendering of the real object[cf. infra]]. Very little remained of the basin itself, just the bottom end of what looks like a round, perhaps hemispherical basin. A communication from Pol Herman to BSI (e-mail of 20 March 2022) may help with an explanation for the above. The drawing and text above is from F.N. Eyck tot Zuilichem, “Kort Berigt omtrent de oude doopvonten in ons land’, in Berigten van het Historisch Gezelschap te Utrecht, deel 1, (1846-1849), page 225, picture 6. Pol Herman further refers to “Romaanse doopvonten in Nederland”, by Raphaël Ligtenberg in Bulletin van den Nederlandschen Oudheidkundigen Bond, Achtste Jaargang, Tweede serie, 1915, in which Ligtenberg notes that he could not find any trace of the font at Vaassen anymore, although a large fragment of it was still present in 1846. If we compare the drawing by F.N. Eyck tot Zuilichem in “Berigten…” of the font of Hattem with the font of Hattem itself, we may conclude that the one in Vaassen also had no curling feet, but rather supports like the other fonts. Middeleeuwse stenen doopvonten in Gelderland, by Til Schönlank – van der Wal, in Bulletin Stichting Oude Gelderse Kerken , ISSN 1386.6427, 2001, najaarsnummer, jaargang 27, pages 3-17. Vaassen had a Bentheimer baptismal font whose current whereabouts are unknown. According to Ligtenberg (1915), one can get a reasonable picture of the font by looking at the font of Groenlo. The old drawing of F.N. Eyck tot Zuilichem was probably made with too much fantasy. Note : Ligtenberg compared the font of Vaassen with the font of Hattem. Schönlank-van der Wal made a mistake. [NB: we [BSI] have not been able to find recent information on the whereabouts of the old font fragment; the present font in this recently renovated church is a sleek object consisting of a shallow glass bowl on a four-legged stand; the whole interior of this church is now arranged with the pulpit as its centre; the modern font is near the equally sleek pulpit, in the nave, towards the north side].