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Holy water stoup: C.1879-1928

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Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Earthenware holy water stoup with moulded and hand-modelled decoration in relief, coated and painted in coloured slips and lead-glazed

Dark buff earthenware, with moulded and hand modelled reliefs applied to the flat back, decorated in cream, tan and brown slips, under clear lead-glaze. There are also some details in dark green glaze. The The back of the stoup is rectangular with cut corners and a shallow V-shaped cut at the top. At the bottom it has a projecting semi-circular container for the holy water in the form of a bearded head of Christ crowned with thorns. A half figure of a naked man with manacles and chains on his wrists, emerges from flames above it. Over him, is a Crucifix flanked by two holes edged with green, and on each side, a barley-sugar column topped by a cherub holding a chalice to catch the blood from the wounds of Christ. Over the Crucifix there is a cream circle surrounded by green spots. The reverse of the back plate is undecorated but has dribbles of glaze round the edge and one wide dribble diagonally across it at the top.

Notes

History note: Unknown before Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, FRS, Trinity College, Cambridge

Legal notes

Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest

Measurements and weight

Depth: 6.5 cm
Width: 11 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Note

The attribution is uncertain

School or Style

Baroque

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Front Surface composed of lead-glaze ( clear and a little green)
Decoration composed of slip
Back Plate Height 23 cm
Reliefs

Materials used in production

Earthenware

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.1879-1928
Primary reference Number: 72800
Old object number: R, 3042

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Tuesday 30 September 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Holy water stoup" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72800 Accessed: 2025-12-05 12:40:52

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72800 |title=Holy water stoup |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 12:40:52|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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