This is another exhibit from the V&A’s cast court collection.

This cast was acquired in exchange with the Belgian Royal Commission for Promoting the Reproduction of Works of Art in 1877.  The original is made of brass and was created before 1118 by Rainer of Huy.

The font is decorated with representations of St John the Baptist baptising the Publicans, a group of penitents, and Christ; St Peter baptising Cornelius; and St John the Evangelist baptizing Cato the philosopher. The oxen carrying the font are an analogy to the molten sea supported by oxen in the Temple of Jerusalem (I, Kings, vii. 23) and identified as symbols of the Twelve Apostles by Rupert of Deutz in his treatise De Trinitate written at Liège about 1117. Rupert of Deutz probably sketched out the iconography and symbolism of the font which was commissioned by Abbot Hellinus (1111-18), cast by Rainer of Huy for Notre Dame aux Fonts, and is now in the Church of Saint-Barthémy, Liège.

Angelis Ministrants

4 Comments CherryPie on Mar 17th 2010

4 Responses to “The V&A – Cast Court Font”

  1. very nicely captured. i really like the light reflecting off of it :)

  2. Phidelm says:

    Beautiful, and it has almost a 20th century ‘feel’ – lovely, as it goes to show the message is for all time. Always pleased to see shots of the V&A (& secretly proud for not much reason: a member of the family was its first director).