Holy Water Font, Limoges Enamel On Bronze, by Emile Bouasse, Solid Bronze Back, Marble Base circa 1870

Holy Water Font, Beautiful Limoges Enamel On Bronze, Gothic Style Enamelled Font, Bronze Back, circa 1890, 24 x 14 cm Excellent Condition Bouasse Jeune was a prominent Parisian printing house founded in 1867 by Émile Alfred Bouasse (1832–1883), the younger son of publisher Eulalie Lebel, following a family dispute that split the original Bouasse-Lebel firm. Located first at 2, rue Molière and then at 9, rue Mabillon in the Saint-Sulpice neighborhood, the company specialized in religious imagery, pious objects, and chromolithography, earning significant acclaim and even a papal commendation for its products. Most people would be familiar with Bouasse Jeune or Bouasse Lebel from the Holy Cards that both companies produced as they were predominantly printers. However, Bouasse Jeune also produced a few high quality crosses, crucifixes, Corpus Christi and this amazing Holy Water font. A truly beautiful Holy Water Font with a lovely cross which has been wonderfully etched and enamelled by the master craftsmen at Limoges in France where this art was perfected, for Bouasse Jeune. Every detail is perfect on the cross and on the font itself. The cross is elevated from the back plate which gives a stunning 3D effect and, unusually for this type of font, the bronze from which the cross and font are made is very thick, as is the hefty back plate on which it sits. The cross is 15 x 10 centimetres. The stunning piece of marble is 23 x 15 x 1 centimetres and the back plates, with the mark of Bouasse Jeune, is 24.5 x 15.5 x 0.3 centimetres. This wonderful piece is substantial as it weighs 1.2 kilos. The benitier is in excellent antique condition. It measures 24 cm in height, 14 cm at its widest point. It has a bronze ring set into the bronze back plate for wall hanging. A truly remarkable and very beautiful piece.