The Font in the Baptistery of Sienna Cathedral, [Italy], 1860. View of the beautiful marble font in this Baptistery, copied by permission from a splendid and interesting volume: "Examples of Stained Glass Fresco Ornament, Marble and Enamel Inlay, and Wood Inlay," by J. B. Waring, printed in lithography and in colours by Vincent Brooks...The name of the designer of the beautiful marble font of the Baptistery of Sienna is not handed down to us, but it must be a work of the early part of the fifteenth century, since in 1417 we read of a contract between Lorenzo Bartholi (Ghiberti), goldsmith, of Florence, and the cathedral authorities, giving to the said Lorenzo two panels in the font, to be executed in bronze gilt, the subjects being St. John Baptising Christ, and St. John before Herod. One of these panels was completed in ten months...Jacopo della Fonte also executed two stories in bronze for the same work, and the manner of these was imitated by Lorenzo as closely as possible. It was from him that the baptismal font received its final completion. The friezes of the base and entablature of the font are ornamented with gold inscriptions on a blue enamel ground.... From "Illustrated London News", 1860.