Lobberich

Baptismal font noted and illustrated in Clemen (1892) who gives it a date towards the late 13th century; the font, as i appears in the illustration drawing in Clemen (fig. 48) is a curious composite of a Mosan-type basin and a five-column support base, the latter matching the date given by this author, while the basin is obviously of a late-Gothic period [cf. infra]. The entry for the new church at Lobberich in GDG Nettental [https://gdg-nettetal.de/st-sebastian-lobberich/] [accessed 11 April 2024] illustrates a baptismal font said to be made of basalt in the Maasland style in the 12th century ["Aus basalt gefertigte romanische Taufstein im maäslandischen Stil aus them 12. Jahrhundert"]. The entry for this church in the German Wikipedia [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Sebastian_(Lobberich)] [accessed 11 April 2024] describes the font as 13th-century ["der Taufstein aus dem 13. Jahrhundert"] [NB: the material (basalt) and the date assigned by the GDG source are obviously way off the mark: the stone of the basin is most likely Mosan limestone and the dating in the late-Romanesque period that might have applied to the earlier base does not suit either the 16th-century(?) basin or the modern base that has replaced the one shown in Clemen]. The original font of ca.1200 may have had a square basin raised on a base consisting of a broad central shaft and four outer colonnettes with a square lower base, the base as shown in Clemen's drawing [cf. supra]; the font now [2020] consists of a 16th-century octagonal basin of Mosan limestone decorated in the usual manner with four heads set at 90-degree angles, on a new base with passant lions on it that appears modern. Two font covers appear in some of the photographs of this font [cf. ImagesArea]: one is a building-like structure in which the four outer towers sit atop the bulging heads of the basin; it appears to be made of metal and it is relatively modern; the other cover is obviously of a later date, also of metal [bronze?], and shaped like a pool of water with a large fish atop as finial. A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 30 December 2023) addresses these issues: "Since 988, Lobberich was part of the diocese of Liège. The time of construction of the old Gothic parish church of St. Sebastian is estimated to be between 1400 and 1450. Excavations inside the church brought to light the remains of a previous Romanesque building (around 1200). Based on the location and on common practice, it can be assumed that a wooden community's church has stood in the same location since its beginnings (10th century or earlier). In 1891-1893, 400 meters to the west, a neo-Romanesque basilica was built, to replace the old church. This new building was deemed necessary due to “the unworthy narrowness” in the old church. After the inauguration of the new church in 1893, the old church was saved from demolition (already approved) thanks to the energetic and self-sacrificing intervention of local residents." Pol Herman includes a copy of Clemen's 1892 article and adds: "As you can see [in Clemen's drawing], the base was from a Romanesque, twelfth-century Mosan font, with one central column and four colonnettes. The basin must have been lost somewhere in the 16th century? Anyway, the present octagonal basin with its four heads is a typical example of a late-gothic Mosan font. Few such fonts carry an exact date, but when I compare with the font of Berneau (1576) and of Burdinne (1591-1610), I would attribute it to this period."