Bingum / Bingum bei Ems / Bingum in Leer / Binninghem / Leer-Bingum

The entry for this church in the Evangelische-lutherischeLandeskirche Hannovers [https://www.kirche-bingum.de/wir/geschichte_b/rundgang] [accessed 20 December 2023] describes and illustrates the font as an import made of Bentheim sandstone in the 14th century ["Der Taufstein dagegen ist jünger. Er ist aus gelbem Sandstein und stammt aus dem Bentheimschen. Etwa aus dem 14. Jahrhundert. Werkstätten für Steinmetzarbeiten gab es damals in Ostfriesland nicht. Es war leichter, die Kunstwerke auf dem Wasserwege aus dem Flämischen zu importieren"]. This font is described and illustrated in Tonko Ufkens' Van de schepping tot de hemel: Rond het doopvont van Bingum [https://www.kerkinstad.nl/nl/story/van-de-schepping-tot-de-hemel] [accessed 20 December 2023] as having been made of Bentheim sandstone in the first half of the 14th century, 1 m tall and over 2 m in circumference; the octagonal basin has trefoiled panels that are 16x16 cm, five of them bearing figural carvings related to the Bible, the other three either sanded away of never carved; Ufkens (ibid.) identifies the carvings thus [R-->L]: 1)Genesis 3: Adam and Eve, the Serpent and the Tree; 2)Mark 1:1-12: Baptism of Christ by John the Baptist; 3)John 4: 1-30: Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well; 4) Luke 16: 19-31: The rich man and Lazarus; 5) Genesis 8:8: Then he sent forth a dove. This font is not mentioned in Drake (2002). The entry for this church in the German Wikipedia [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthäikirche_(Bingum)] [accessed 20 December 2023] notes a baptismal font made of yellow Bentheim sandstone in the 14th century, used as holy-water stoup at some point; it is octagonal in shape and decorated with carvings on the sides ["Ältester Einrichtungsgegenstand ist der Taufstein aus gelbem Bentheimer Sandstein aus dem 14. Jahrhundert und diente ursprünglich als Weihwasserbecken. Er ist achteckig und mit Flachreliefs versehen"]. Baptismal font of sandstone said to be either Bremer or Bentheimer [cf. supra], consisting of an octagonal basin with vertical sides decorated with trefoiled arches, some of which have in them a bird with a scroll [John?], an angel [Matthew?], and other figures and symbols; tall underbowl chamfer with fleurons at the angles; the octagonal pedestal base and the miniscule lower base are both octagonal and plain; both these parts could be later replacements. The upper rim of the basin is badly damaged, the whole showing the type of erosion caused by extended exposure to the elements as well as other uses. No font cover present.