Oteppe No. 2 / Otepe / Ôtepe

Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

Results: 19 records

Click to view images and/or subjects

animal - mammal - lion - head - vegetation stemming from the mouth - palmette

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

animal - mammal - lion - head - vegetation stemming from the mouth - palmette

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

animal - mammal - lion - head - vegetation stemming from the mouth - palmette

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

animal - mammal - lion - passant

Scene Description: passant to the left; appears to be attached to the leaves on the left

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

animal - mammal - lion - passant-gardant

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

design element - motifs - circle - motif inside - 2 - linked

Scene Description: and tied or linked to the lion on the right

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

design element - motifs - lozenge - 4

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

human figure - head - 4

Scene Description: two of them visible here

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

viedw of font

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

view of font

Scene Description: Source caption: one of the many neo-Romanesque objects in the shape of baptismal fonts made in Spanish workshops in the 19th and early-20th centuries; they are not made of actual stone, but moulded from composite mortar, treating the surface to give it an 'ancient vintage look'; many of them are reported sold by a Belgian importer [cf. FontNotes]

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

view of font

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

view of font

Image Source: digital photograph 30 November 2023 from Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from Ludo Maertens via Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 30 November 2023)

view of font - base - detail

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font - base - detail

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font - base - detail

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font - base - detail

Image Source: digital photograph 20 October 2023 by Le Château d'Oteppe

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received via Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 October 2023)

view of font in context

Scene Description: Source caption: "Voici la photo des fonts baptismaux d'Oteppe, que m'a envoyée Mr Maertens.Ils se trouvent donc actuellement chez sa sœur à Gand" [cf. FontNotes]

Image Source: digital photograph by Ludo Maertens

Copyright Instructions: Image and permission received from the author via Jean-Pierre Boland and Pol Herman (e-mail of 6 November 2023)

INFORMATION

FontID: 25349OTR

Church/Chapel: Château d'Oteppe

Church Location: Rue du Château 1 / Rue Goria 30, 4210 Burdinne, Belgium -- Tel.+32 (0) 85 71 16 20

Country Name: Belgium

Location: Liège, Wallonie / Wallonne

Directions to Site: Located off (N) the N652 [aka Rue de la Burdinale], N of the A15, in the municipality of Burdinne, 11-12 km NW of Huy, 25-30 km W of Liège

Ecclesiastic Region: Diocèse de Liège

Font Location in Church: [cf. FontNotes]

Date: n.d.

Century and Period: 12th - 13th century [altered?], Medieval [composite font? / altered font?]

Workshop/Group/Artisan: Ardennes group? [Ghislain]

Cognate Fonts: the font at Linkebeek et al. [cf. FontNotes]

Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for bringing this font to our attention and for his help in documenting it. We are also grateful to Jean-Pierre Boland and to Ludo Maertens and the Maertens family for their help in documenting this font.

Font Notes: Click to view font notes

The Bibliotheca Burdinne [https://bibliotheca.burdinne.be/thematiques/patrimoine-religieux-et-funeraire/fonds-baptismaux/fonds-baptismaux-oteppe-1] [accessed 19 February 2024] reports and illustrates a Romanesque baptismal font of the late-12th or early-13th century originally from the medieval parish church of Oteppe, probably moved to the castle at the time of its re-building in the 18th century. The same source refers to Jean-Claude Ghislain's classification as ""le groupe tardif ardennais", produit entre 1170 et 1220" ["ces anciens fonts baptismaux proviennent de l'église d'Oteppe. Ils ont par la suite (sans doute lors de la restauration de l'église), été transférés au château d'Oteppe. Ils appartiennent aujourd'hui à l'ancienne propriétaire du château. Cette cuve est romane et date de la fin du 12ième siècle, peut-être un peu plus tard. Elle fait partie de la deuxième vague de fonts baptismaux mosans que le spécialiste Jean-Claude Ghislain a défini comme « le groupe tardif ardennais », produit entre 1170 et 1220. Celui-ci succède au groupe namurois (1150-1175), dont il dérive. Ce groupe tardif ardennais ne compte que des cuves circulaires (c.a.d. non quadrangulaire), à quatre têtes saillantes portées par des consoles à moulure en talon, et d’une facture fréquemment fruste. Au décor végétal (la vigne) souvent apparié et aux mufles de félin qui crachent des palmettes s’ajoutent des dragons aux cous entrelacés, des arcatures et des redents. Par contre, les décors historiés bibliques tellement typiques pour les fonts plus anciens, sont inexistants. Sa diffusion axée sur la Meuse et la Demer est la plus étendue de la production mosane, elle atteint le Brabant septentrional, et vers le sud, la Champagne avec l’Ardenne et le Rémois. Quelques exemplaires se trouvent dans la Basse Rhénanie voisine. Il est rare dans le Namurois, car les églises romanes y étaient déjà pourvues en fonts plus anciens. Un foyer producteur se situerait dans la région dinantaise, mais il n’a pas encore été identifié."] The font is now [2023] in the entrance patio, topped with a decorative metal ornament, serving as planter. A further communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 February 2024) reiterated and completed details on this font: "Jean-Claude Ghislain is convinced that the font is a genuine romanesque object, belonging to his “Ardennais group”. He has been discussing the preservation of the font since 1986, when it was installed in the garden of the castle: "Ils pourraient provenir de l'église paroissiale détentrice du droit de baptême et certainement pas de la chapelle castrale. J'ai insisté en 1986 pour leur transfert à l'intérieur du château, ce qui a été fait. Ils étaient dans le parc du domaine acquis en 1962 par un particulier et transformé en centre de vacances appelé L'Hirondelle." Pol Herman adds: "He also included the Oteppe font in an article about the font of Linkebeek. 'La cuve baptismale romane de style ardennais de Linkebeek (Brabant)' / Jean Claude Ghislain (1994). Dans : "Annales du cercle historique et folklorique de Braine-le-Château, Tubize et des régions voisines", tome VIII, 1988-1993, p. 153-175" A further communication to BSI from Pol Herman (20 October 2023) notes and illustrates an object located in the patio ["cour d'entrée"] of the château of Oteppe, wondering whether it can be a real font or just a decorative object. The likely correct answer to that question is provided in Bibliotheca Burdinne [https://bibliotheca.burdinne.be/thematiques/patrimoine-religieux-et-funeraire/fonds-baptismaux/fonts-baptismaux-oteppe-1] [accessed 19 February 2024] as one of the many neo-Romanesque objects in the shape of baptismal fonts made in Spanish workshops in the 19th and early-20th centuries; they are not made of actual stone, but moulded from composite mortar, treating the surface to give it an 'ancient vintage look'; many of them are reported sold by a Belgian importer ["Fonts baptismaux - Oteppe [...] Cour d'entrée du château d'Oteppe. Il s’agit probablement de fonts baptismaux néo-romans, produits par des ateliers espagnols, au 19ième et pendant la première moitié du 20ième siècle. Un importateur belge en a vendu beaucoup durant cette période. Cette cuve se trouvait peut-être dans la chapelle castrale, pour servir aux besoins des propriétaires. Ces fonts ne sont pas faits en taillant la pierre naturelle, mais en coulant du mortier dans un moule. Puis la surface était artificiellement vieillie pour suggérer un aspect antique." A further communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 20 February 2024) informs that he has been able to identify the importing company: "About this importer of Spanish neo-romanesque fonts, I already have a name : the company GROVEN, Tiensesteenweg, Sint-Truiden. They sold such fonts up to the 70’s. I am trying to find someone who could inform me about this discontinued company." A further communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 6 November 2023) updates information on the location of the font: "I informed you that the Romanesque mosan font of Oteppe was standing in the garden of the local castle. However, it was removed when the domain was sold by Ludo Maertens to the French groupe Capfun, specialized in camping accomodation in 2012. His sister took the font to her private garden in the city of Gent." Pol Herman includes correspondence between him and Jean-Pierre Boland (e-mail of 6 November 2023) in which the latter informs PH of the new location of the font at the Maertens' residence in Gand and includes a photograph of the object on location: "Voici la photo des fonts baptismaux d'Oteppe, que m'a envoyée Mr Maertens. Ils se trouvent donc actuellement chez sa sœur à Gand".

COORDINATES

Church Latitude & Longitude Decimal: 50.567, 5.117

Church Latitude & Longitude DMS: 50° 34′ 1.2″ N, 5° 7′ 1.2″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone

Font Shape: round (mounted)

Basin Interior Shape: round

Basin Exterior Shape: round

REFERENCES

Ghislain, Jean-Claude, "La cuve baptismale romane de style ardennaisde Linkebeek (Brabant)", Tome 8 (1988-1993), Annales du Centre Historique et Folklorique de Braine-le-Château, Tubize et des régions voisines, 1993, pp. 153-175; r["References"]