Nordby / Fanø Kirke / Nordby in Fanø / Rindby

Main image for Nordby / Fanø Kirke / Nordby in Fanø / Rindby

Image copyright © Calvin, 2014

CC-BY-SA-4.0

Results: 12 records

view of font

Scene Description: "Nordby church, baptismal font / Nordby Kirke, døbefont / Die Nordby Kirche, Taufbecken"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Calvin, 2014
Image Source: digital photograph 30 July 2014 by Calvin
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

view of font

Scene Description: NB: the base on which the basin rests at the time of this drawing is not the present one [cf. FontNotes]
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Det KGL Bibliotek, 2026
Image Source: digital image of a 19thC drawing in the National Library [cf.FontNotes]
Copyright Instructions: Materialet er fri af ophavsret

inscription - detail

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Calvin, 2014
Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 30 July 2014 by Calvin
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

symbol - cross - Greek

Scene Description: a number of small crosses, probably four in total
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Calvin, 2014
Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 30 July 2014 by Calvin
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

view of church exterior

Scene Description: "Die Nordby kirke von 1786 auf Insel Fanø gehört zur Probstei Skads bzw Domprobstei Ribe. Nordseeinsel Fanø Dänemark"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Wolfgang Pehlemann, 2020
Image Source: digital photograph 2020 by Wolfgang Pehlemann
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-3.0

New Testament - Passion of Christ - Crucifixion

Scene Description: four crucifixes located within the body of the inscription
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Calvin, 2014
Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 30 July 2014 by Calvin
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

human figure - head - 4

Scene Description: they constitute the resting points of the tub-shaped basin
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Calvin, 2014
Image Source: edited detail of a digital photograph 30 July 2014 by Calvin
Copyright Instructions: CC-BY-SA-4.0

view of font in context

Scene Description: "Orgel in Nordby Kirke, Fanø, Syddanmark, Dänemark."
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Hans-Jörg Gemeinholzer, 2017
Image Source: digital photograph 16 March 2017 by Hans-Jörg Gemeinholzer
Copyright Instructions: GFDL

view of basin - detail

Scene Description: "Krucifiks på døbefontens kumme, jfr. fig. 20 (s. 2127). NE fot. 1984. – Bronzetaufe. Becken mit Kruzifix, vgl. Abb. 20."
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet i København, 2026
Image Source: digital image of a 1984 NE B&W photograph in DK
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of basin

Scene Description: "NORDBY KIRKE 2129 Fig. 20. Døbefontskumme af malm fra 1400’rnes sidste halvdel, med indskrift anbragt på hovedet og spejlvendt samt afbrudt af fire støbte krucifikser, (s. 2127). NE fot. 1984. – Bronzetaufe, deren Becken eine auf dem Kopf stehende und seitenverkehrte Inschrift trägt. Diese wird von vier gegossenen Kruzifixen unterbrochen. Zweite Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet i København, 2026
Image Source: digital image of a 1984 NE B&W photograph in DK
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font in context

Scene Description: the font is partially visible in this ca. 1900 B&W photograph of the church interior; on the left, in front of the altar, outside the communion railing
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet i København, 2026
Image Source: digital image of a ca. 1900 NM B&W photograph in DK
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

inscription

Scene Description: "Døbefontens malmstøbte kumme med den usædvanlige indskrift rullet ud og anbragt i sin fulde længde, jfr. fig. 20 (s. 2127). Aftegnet af E. Rondahl 1896. NM"
Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet i København, 2026
Image Source: digital image of a 1896 drawing by E. Rondahl in DK
Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE – IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

INFORMATION

Font ID: 26197LAN
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 15th century (mid?) [basin only] [composite font], [altered] [composite]
Church / Chapel Name: Nordby Kirke
Font Location in Church: Inside
Previous Font Location(s): Fanø Kirke, in Rindby
Church Notes: present church built in 1786 to replace the older [14thC?] parish church at Rinby that used to be known as "Fanø Kirke"
Church Address: Hovedgaden 105A, Nordby, 6720 Fanø, Denmark -- Tel.: +45 75 16 20 86
Site Location: Syddanmark, Denmark, Europe
Directions to Site: Located in the municipality and the island of Fanø, across from Esbjerg
Ecclesiastic Region: Ribe Stift
Historical Region: Fanø, Eskast Herred, Ribe Amt
Additional Comments: altered font (black marble base of 1887)
Font Notes:
There is a 18th-century (1820-1880) drawing of this font by "Becker, I. G. Burman (26.4.1802-6.10.1880) apoteker, historisk samler" in the National Library [Kgl. Biblioteks billedsamling -- BB_63_0234.tif]; the fonts is described as "Af Malm, Diam. 1 Al., Bækkenets Høide 14 1/2 Tom. aftegnet i 1/7 Størr." [https://digitalesamlinger.kb.dk/images/billed/2010/okt/billeder/object567685/da/] [accessed 8 March 2026]. The font is listed in Mackeprang (1941, 2003) as a font made of bronze. The entry for this church in Danmarks Kirker [https://nmdanmarkskirkerprod.blob.core.windows.net/files/Ribe_2113-2145.pdf] [accessed 8 March 2026] gives details of the bronze basin, its decoration, measurements and inscription, and dates the black marble base to the 19th century: "Døbefont (fig. 20), bestående af kumme, støbt i malm 1450-1500, og fod af sort poleret marmor fra 1887. Den 34 cm høje kumme er 61,5 cm i tvm.; den har profileret mundingsrand og er ved tre gange to lister opdelt i vandrette bæl ter. Det øverste rummer indskrift i reliefminuskler, anbragt på hovedet og spejlvendt: »hoc est baptistu(m) penitenc(ie)« (dette er omven delsens (bodens) dåb); ordene er adskilt af fire støbte krucifikser (fig. 18-19).51 I det nederste bælte er fire reliefstøbte, græske kors, anbragt under krucifikserne, samt et fordybet bomærke, sandsynligvis støberens, af form som to vinkelstillede ben, hver med to udeftervendte kroge. Fire ensdannede hoveder, med store øjne og bred mund samt glat pandehår, som springer frem umiddelbart under det nederste par lister, vidner om, at fonten i lighed med andre af am tets malmfonte, i Varde S. Jacobi og Ølgod (s. 902 og 1538) har været båret af fire ens, menne skeformede søjler. Fonten er tidligst omtalt 1759, da det hedder, at den er skænket af en engelsk prinsesse, som strandede ved Mandø før sit bryllup med kong Gorm.52 Historien er gen taget i Danske Atlas ti år efter,53 mens prinsessen Thyra Danebod i en præsteindberetning fra
o. 1776 er blevet til dronning Dagmar.54 Fontens ret sjældne materiale har afstedkommet endnu et sagn, omtalt sidstnævnte sted: At vandet i kum
men holder sig friskt i århundreder!" The entry for this church in the Danish Wikipedia [https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordby_Kirke_(Fanø)] [accessed 8 March 2026] describes the font as made of bronze in the mid-15th century: "Døbefonten er en malmfont fra midten af 1400-tallet." The entry for this font in LEX Danmarks Nationaleksikon [https://lex.dk/Nordby_Kirke_-_Fanø_Kommune] [accessed 8 March 2026] describes the material of the font as "malmstøbte".
Credit and Acknowledgements: We are grateful to Pol Herman for bringing this font to our attention and for his help documenting it

COORDINATES

UTM: 32U 461879 6143969
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 55.44043, 8.39744
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 55° 26′ 25.55″ N, 8° 23′ 50.78″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: bronze
Font Shape: bucket-shaped (mounted)
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: round
Diameter (includes rim): 61.5 cm*
Basin Total Height: 34 cm*
Notes on Measurements: * DK

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: Latin
Inscription Location: on the basin side
Inscription Text: "hoc est baptistu[m] penitenc[ie]"
Inscription Notes: NB: the inscription is upside down and mirrored
Inscription Source: [cf. FontNotes]

REFERENCES

  • Danmarks Kirker, Nationalmuseet i København. URL: http://danmarkskirker.natmus.dk.
  • Mackeprang, Mouritz, Danmarks middelalderlige døbefonte, 1941, p. 11