Bassevelde

A Romanesque baptismal font made of limestone in the 13th century and purchased in 1625 is listed in BALaT KIK-IRPA [https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/46395] [accessed 31 March 2024]: "doopvont [...] Romans. Date: 1201 - 1300 [...] hoogte: 60 cm; diameter: 42 cm [niet gefotografeerd] [...] aangekocht in 1625". This is probably the same object that Ryserhove (1970) shows in a photograph, looking suspiciously like a medieval mortar: "Oude doopvont van Bassevelde, aangekocht in 1625 en herkomstig uit de Sint-Jacobskerk te Gent, enkele tientallen jaren geleden door dhr. Ego voor vernieling gered. Thans geplaatst in de tuin van de Juffr. Ego, Dorp, te Bassevelde. Het ware wenselijk dat deze kleine Romaanse doopvont van Doornikse hardsteen (zuiltje 60 cm hoog; kuip 23 cm hoog en 42 cm grootste diameter) op een droge plaats bewaard werd, om verdere verwering te voorkomen." The entry for this church in the Onroerenderfgoed [https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/76304] [accessed 31 March 2024] reports a baptismal made of marble and copper in the early-19th century ["Doopvont, marmer en koper, eerste helft 19de eeuw.]" A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 5 December 2023) attempts to delucidate the confusion surrounding the fonts in question: "In the 13th century church of Bassevelde, BALaT-KIK-IRPA mentions a baptismal font from the 13th century, without picture [cf. supra]. There is probably no picture because at that time this font was already removed from the church. This font is said to have been bought in 1625 from the Saint-Jacob’s church of Ghent. In 1970, it was standing in the private garden of Miss Ego, Dorp, Bassevele. Reference : Alfons Ryserhove, "Oud Bassevelde 3", in Ons Meetjesland, 1970, 3de jaargang, nr. 3. However, there is something strange about this story. The picture of the garden shows a Romanesque, probably sandstone mortar, installed on top of a gothic base/column of an Hainaut-type limestone font. I doubt if the St. Jacob’s church of Gent would be able to sell such a contraption to another church. In the Bassevelde church stands a baroque font. The basin has gadroons (see photo in https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/46396. By comparing to other similar fonts, I would spontaneously estimate a date of first quarter of the 17th century. My guess is that this is the font that was bought in 1625. The beautiful lid with lifting arm would be something that I expect to stand in an important city church like the one at Gent. This would mean that KIK-IRPA is wrong when it dates 1801-1850. If the St. Jacob’s church of Gent sold its font in 1625, then it needed a new one. This is most probably the luxurious baroque font shown in https://balat.kikirpa.be/object/52202. And then, the KIK-IRPA date of 1701-1800 is wrong. My hypothesis : the basin of the Hainaut-type limestone font of the Bassevelde church was broken, maybe as a result of the religious troubles with the Calvinists in the late 16th century. The basin was replaced by an old mortar. Similar examples of the upgrading of Romanesque mortars to baptismal basins are known from other churches in Belgium. In 1623, Bassevelde bought a baroque type font from the church at Gent. Where it was replaced by a more luxurious font. Observe the many similarities between the brass lids of Gent and Bassevelde ! This is not a coincidence. It is known that the St. Jacob’s church of Gent was badly damaged by the religious troubles in 1566 and 1578. Repair started in 1585 and continued till 1640. I feel rather sure about this hypothesis."