Halberstadt No. 4

A communication to BSI from Pol Herman (e-mail of 9 November 2025) informs: "In the Dom at Halberstadt stands a bronze basin, still partially painted and gilded. It is said to come from the destroyed Paulskirche. Baptismal font, Cathedral Treasury Inv. No. 399. Originating from St. Paul's Church, according to Elis and Lucanus. The paintwork is largely faded. Of a round cross-section and a conical shape, tapering slightly concave towards the bottom, standing on four feet. At the lower rim, beneath a double rounded band, is a hanging palmette frieze; at the upper rim, between incised lines, is a multifaceted frieze of leaves, tendrils, and flowers. Between the two friezes, within eight crocket-adorned gables supported by pinnacle-topped half-columns, are polychrome scenes of the childhood and youth of Jesus up to his baptism. In the spandrels above are half-figures of painted angels: 1. Annunciation to Mary, 2. Visitation of Mary and Nativity, 3. Annunciation to the Shepherds, 4. Adoration of the Magi, 5. Massacre of the Innocents, 6. Presentation in the Temple, 7. Flight into Egypt, 8. Baptism of Jesus. The inscriptions, unless otherwise noted, are incised, some in outline script: A: Hail, full of grace. B: Let it be done to me according to your word. C: Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth. E: Childbirth. F: I bring you good news of great joy. G: The Shepherds. H: The gifts are three. I: Herod in anger. J: Purification. M: Go down to Egypt. O: Baptism. The roughly simultaneous creation of the baptismal font in the cathedral and the one in St. Martin's Church in Halberstadt is demonstrated not only by their identical iconographic program but also by their inscriptions, which are not only textually identical but almost word-for-word alike. Their execution also reveals the close relationship between the two fonts. One must assume that at least the designs, if not the casting itself, originated in the same workshop, presumably in Halberstadt. In accordance with the art historical findings, the classification of the lettering styles within the series of older Halberstadt castings suggests that both were created at the beginning of the 14th century. These are bells located in the cathedral, including in particular the youngest one, as well as the older bell from St. Martin's, preceded by the oldest bell in St. Moritz, while the two bells from St. Moritz and Our Lady follow them. That both St. Paul and St. Martini were interested in funding for their endowments around 1300 is shown by two indulgences for which efforts were made in Rome in 1300 – certainly favored by the Holy Year – from archbishops and bishops for both abbeys."
This font is illustrated in Wikimedia [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bronze_baptismal_font_of_Halberstadt_Cathedral] [accessed 10 November 2025]