Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

140 Arts апd Cгafts iп tЬе Иiddle Ages

four Riveгs of Paгadise. Tl1e conical cover is also cov­ ered with Scriptural scenes, ancl surmounted Ьу а foliate knob. Among the figures with which the font is covered are the Cardinal Yirtues, flanked Ьу their patгon saints. Didгon consideгs this а most impoгtaнt piece of bronze from an iconogшphic poi11t of view theologically and poetically. Tlie arcl1aic qualities of tl1e figшcs а1·е fascinatiвg and sometimes diverting. Iп tЪе sсепе of the Baptisш of Christ the water is posi­ tivcly t1·aincd to flO\v нpwa1·ds in pyгamidal fOl'm, in огdег to rcach всагlу to the \Yaist, ,vhile at eitl1e1· side it 1·cccdes to the groнпd ]evel again, - it has an iн­ genuoнs апd alшost staгtliпg sнdde.nncss iп the гising of its flood ! Ап inte1·esting coшment нроn the preva­ leпcc of еагlу natioпal fогшs may Ьс deduced, ,vhcn опс observes that оп tl1e table, at the Last Sнpper, tl1eгc lies а perfcctly shaped pretzel ! The grcat bronze colнmn constrнcted Ьу St. Berпwaгd at Hildesheiш has the Lifе of Ch1·ist гcpгescnted in consecutive scenes in а spiгal foгm, like thosc orna­ mcntiпg the colнmn of Trajan. Down Ьу Bernward's grave there is а spгing ,Yhich is said to еше cripples and rheumatics. Peasants visit Нiblesheim on saints' days in order to drink of it, and fгequently, after one of these visitations, crutches are found abandoned near Ьу. Saxony was famoнs for its bronze founders, and work was sent forth, from this country, in the twelfth century, all ovcr Ешоре. Огсаgпа's tabeшaclc at Ог Sап l\Jichele is, as Syшonds