This item is an antique French pocket or wall-hanging holy water font (known in French as a bénitier de chevet), dating from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. It is crafted from ornate reticulated brass with a distinctive openwork filigree frame. The frame features classical motifs, including a prominent crucifix at the apex. The center contains a hand-painted depiction of the Virgin Mary (Notre Dame) protected beneath a piece of glass. The small half-moon reservoir at the bottom used to hold holy water features a mother-of-pearl (nacre) shell inlay fitted into a brass collar.
During the Napoleon III era (mid-to-late 19th century) and into the early 20th century, French workshops produced these delicate personal fonts. They were commonly sold in Paris antique boutiques or as treasured souvenirs from major French pilgrimage destinations like Lourdes, Lisieux, or Notre-Dame in Paris. This one's inscription reads "Souvenir de Ste Radegonde" (Souvenir of Saint Radegonde). Saint Radegonde (c. 520–587 AD) was a deeply revered 6th-century Frankish queen who left her royal life to found the Holy Cross Abbey in Poitiers, France. This is the most famous destination, where Saint Radegonde's tomb is located and where millions of pilgrims have traveled over the centuries. The Church of Sainte-Radegonde in Talmont-sur-Gironde: A spectacular, historic 12th-century cliffside pilgrimage church sitting right on the edge of the water.
The cursive inscription was delicately hand-inked onto the iridescent mother-of-pearl to commemorate the owner's journey and act as a keepsake for their home devotional space. It is a beautiful, deeply historical piece of 19th-century French religious art. It measures 6.75" x 3.5", and the water font is 1.75" deep.
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