Stoup In Marble Stone - Late 16th Century

This circular marble stone font subtly tells us many more things than it seems.
It is the magic of these ancient objects, very often elaborated with an ancestral knowledge that the world has forgotten.

Its decoration of stylized patterns thus presents on the tank itself, 15 gadroons. This number 15 is most interesting and goes perfectly with the deep meaning of a stoup.

It is indeed the seal of spiritual ascents, according to Cornelius Agrippa. Let us remember that to reach the original Temple of Jerusalem, there were 15 steps and on each of them a so-called gradual psalm was sung.
By translation, we find these hymns of the degrees in our churches. Thus the 14 stations of Christ are positioned so that the sum of the numbers of the stations facing each other is...15. For Christians, the stations relate the greatest of spiritual ascents.

I like to think that our stonemasons of ancient times knew perfectly the subtleties and the strength of the symbolism of numbers. In this register the height of this stoup is 37 cm, which in gematria is associated with Wisdom. This is why, according to the Fathers of the Church, the 37 is a symbol of Christ, it is a symbol of the living word of God We will have understood it, an interesting piece by its architecture as much as by its "secrets".

Late 16th - early 17th century.

Height: 37cm. Inner diameter: 24cm. Outer diameter: 31 cm.