Venray

The entry for this church in Reliwiki [https://www.reliwiki.nl/index.php/Venray,_Grote_Markt_24_-_Petrus'_Banden] [accessed 26 December 2021] reports a baptismal font of the 16th century in the Renaissance style. It consists of a round moulded basin with four large demi-angels on scroll supports at 90-degree angles on the sides, garlands between them; short cylindrical stem and a square lower base decorated with a moulding atop and plain circles inside square frames on the sides. The font cover is a tall [130 cm] octagonal cabinet-like construction, each side decorated with a three-arch arcade and mouldings all around; Ogee dome top; metal side crane attached to the wall and ground pivots the cover on and off, the crane covered in tracery. In a communication to BSI (e-mail of 12 December 2021) Pol Herman summarises information from Petrus Banden Kerk Venray: Gebouw en cultuurschatten [http://www.petrusbandenkerkvenray.nl/meubilair/doopvont_1.shtml] [accessed 26 December 2021]: Renaissance baptismal font XVId. Namur stone. Basin height : 46 cm. Lid : wood. Height of the lid : 130 cm. Rotary lifting apparatus : wrought iron. Mid 16th century, circa 1565. Against the round basin of Namur stone, stylized angels are placed which are connected to each other by garlands. They may symbolize the four rivers from the paradise, to which the fertility of paradise was due. Perhaps they also refer to the four evangelists. The foot is halve sunken into the floor. On top of the baptismal font is an eight-sided wooden lid in Renaissance style. The hood, with pilasters and round-arch niches, ends in a domed roof with a spire. The lid could originally be lifted from the basin by means of a beautiful wrought iron rotary lifting apparatus. This crane, a showpiece of late medieval blacksmithing, with the mark of a guild master, is richly decorated with rosettes and lilies. The Venray coat of arms at the end of the bearing bar was added later. After the baptismal font was moved from the back of the church to the old sacristy at the front of the church, this lifting apparatus can no longer be used as such. The lid is now lowered from the vault.