Home stoup
A home stoup was a small stoup with a small bowl and a decorated plaque that Roman Catholics hung inside their homes, either at the house's entrance or, more commonly, on a bedroom wall at the head of the bed.[1] Sometimes, they put a small blessed branch of buxus,[2] behind the stoup, or they hang a rosary on the stoup.
The small bowl contained holy water so that the house's inhabitants could cross themselves in the morning and make the sign of the cross over their beds at night.[3]
The use of these stoups began in the earliest centuries of the Catholic Church. They were made of both expensive (gold, silver...) and cheap (faience, ceramic, wood) materials; dependant on the fortunes of their owners. They were handmade with a painting or relief of Jesus of Nazareth, the Cross, the Virgin Mary, an angel or other religious subjects.[3]
Most of theses stoups were destroyed or disappeared during the French Revolution in 1789 and in following years.
In the nineteenth century, most of the these stoups were made in ceramics. Some were unique in bearing the name of their owner. They were given as gifts on special occasions, such as births, first Communions and weddings.
These stoups were often handed down the generations, but their use decreased in France after 1900. Today, they are collected by art-lovers.
See also
External links
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References
- ↑ Henri Chaperon: Le bénitier de Chevet (1991) Éditions Varia
- ↑ In the catholic tradition, palm fronds or piece of buxus are blessed on Palm Sunday and kept by the people all the year round.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://forezhistoire.free.fr/benitier.html