Westmalle

Noted in De Vlaamsche School, Jaargang 12, 1866, p. 132-133 as a 15th-century, gothic, Hainaut-type stoup, with an inscription. Listed and illustrated in BALaT KIK-IRPA [http://balat.kikirpa.be/object/138154] [accessed 26 March 2022] as a baptismal font [="doopvont"] made of blue limestone between 1401 and 1500, in the Museum Vleeshuis. [NB: the inscription on the basin sides was added in 1862]. A communication to BSI from Pol Herman includes the above sources and mentions that of the MAS (Antwerp) entry also describes it as a baptismal font, not a stoup. [NB: the measurements given in the BALaT entry (ibid.), 100 cm in height and 60 cm in diameter, could match those of a small font or a large stoup for this period]. A further communication eo BSI from Pol Herma (e-mail of 10 December 2022) adds: "It is a stoup, 1545-1555 [...] The Hainaut-type, limestone, “gothic”, 15th century baptismal font of Westmalle has been returned to the church. You can see the move in the video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NiHacfnkyI] [accessed 10 December 292]. Restauratie van de Sint-Martinuskerk van Westmalle, terugbrengen van de oude doopvont en inzegening. When it was transferred from Westmalle to the “Museum van Oudheden” in Antwerp around 1866, it was labelled a stoup. Later, it was in the collection of the museum Vleeshuis at Antwerp." And further to the mason's mark, Pol Herman adds: "I spoke to Jean-Louis Van Belle, president of the Centre International de Recherches Glyptographiques (http://www.cirg.be/). He positively identified the stone mason marks to Guillaume Le Prince (1510-1573). Guillaume Le Prince, “ingéniaire”, maître de carrières, owned several quarries around Feluy and Ecaussines http://www.valleedelahaine.be/wp/leprince-famille-de/ Thanks to the stone mason marks, it is known that he has supplied building stone for de Sainte-Waudru at Mons in 1547, the church of Quiévrain, the château de Boussu (first stone laid on 25th of march 1539)."