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Holy-water Font

Follower of Guglielmus Italian
ca. 1160–65
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 02
Scenes of the life of Saint Rainerius encircle this font. The son of a merchant of Pisa, he lived for a time in the Holy Land. The saint wears a hair shirt, emblematic of his austere life. Several of Rainerius’ miracles involve holy water; his legend is thus appropriate for a font. Rainerius became the patron saint of Pisa following his death in 1160. Carved in high relief from fine marble, the font probably was created in the workshop of a sculptor named Guglielmus, who was responsible for much of the interior stone decoration of Pisa Cathedral.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Holy-water Font
  • Artist: Follower of Guglielmus (Italian, active 1158–65)
  • Date: ca. 1160–65
  • Geography: Made in probably Pisa, Tuscany, Central Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Marble (Carrara marble)
  • Dimensions: Overall: 9 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 15 in. (24.1 x 11.4 x 38.1 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Architectural
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1964
  • Object Number: 64.96
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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