A stunningly beautiful and very rare Holy Water Font, or Benitier as they are called here, in beautiful mahogany wood. It is the medal which accounts for its rarity as it was made by Jean Baptiste Poncet. Poncet was a very talented artist and engraver who lived in Lyons in France. In the late 19th and early 20th century he joined with Ludovic Penin of the world famous Penin family of Lyons. Penin would make the designs and Poncet would engrave the plates and theirs became an enormously successful collaboration with many of their medals and engravings adorning the collections of major museums around the world.
This particular piece, though, only bears the signature of Poncet which means it was made before he joined forces with Penin. I have seen a number of medals and engravings with just the 'Penin' signature but rarely one with just 'Poncet'.
The medal itself depicts our blessed mother The Virgin Mary with a beautiful arrangement of lilies to the side and the piece is titled 'The Virgin Mary With Lilies. Such a lovely design and so well made. The metal is silver.
The font is made from hand cut crystal.
The benitier is in excellent condition. It measures 26 centimetres in height, 17 centimetres at its widest point and the mahogany base is 1 centimetre thick. The medal alone measures 12 by 10 centimetres.
A truly remarkable and very beautiful piece.
This particular piece, though, only bears the signature of Poncet which means it was made before he joined forces with Penin. I have seen a number of medals and engravings with just the 'Penin' signature but rarely one with just 'Poncet'.
The medal itself depicts our blessed mother The Virgin Mary with a beautiful arrangement of lilies to the side and the piece is titled 'The Virgin Mary With Lilies. Such a lovely design and so well made. The metal is silver.
The font is made from hand cut crystal.
The benitier is in excellent condition. It measures 26 centimetres in height, 17 centimetres at its widest point and the mahogany base is 1 centimetre thick. The medal alone measures 12 by 10 centimetres.
A truly remarkable and very beautiful piece.
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