Baptismal Plate with a Head of St. John

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Baptismal Plate with a Head of St. John

Place of OriginBohemia (Czech Republic)

Dateabout 1710-1720

DimensionsH: 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm); Diam: 10 1/16 in. (25.5 cm) (dealer)

MediumDecolorized chalk glass; blown, applied, engraved

ClassificationGlass

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott

Object number

2008.1

On View

Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion (2444 Monroe Street), Glass Pavilion Gallery, 4

Label TextTranslation of Latin inscriptions: [in cartello] O glorious moment / O auspicious day / may the child flourish; [around basin] Born on earth, may Renatus Johannes of Thun be guided to heaven and by all the world looked upon benevolently Bowls with the decapitated head of St. John were devotional objects used in churches and hospitals to pray for the Saint’s assistance in healing ailments of the head. They were created in metal, wood, or ceramic, but this glass example is unique. As the inscriptions suggest, its function seems to relate to the birth of a child and the plate most likely served as a baptismal basin.Published ReferencesHorn, Helena, 400 Jahre Glas aus Thüringen. Die Sammlung des Museums für Glaskunst Lauscha, 1995, p.38-39, no. 12.

For the iconography of the St. John's bowl, see Arndt, Hella, and R. Kroos, "Zur Ikonographie der Johannesschuessel," Aachener Kunstblaetter 38, 1969, S. 248ff.

Baert, Barbara, "The Gaze and the Image Reconsidered. The Johannes-Schüssel: Artistic Theory and Practice," in Theories of Vision and Visualisation Techniques in the Fifteenth Century. Conference paper, Brussels and Bernkastel-Kues, September 9-16, 2007.

Comparative ReferencesSee also Rudolf von Strasser, Licht und Farbe, Vienna: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 2002, p. 90-91, no. 41.