THe lavabo in the sacristy

When you enter the main sacristy at the Basiliek van Onze Lieve Vrouw, your attention will gravitate towards a peculiar arrangement of objects immediately to your right: a kettle hanging on a iron rack, and beneath them is a stone basin attached to the wall. Upon a closer inspection, you will realise that the brass kettle is ribbed and inscribed with the phrase "Lavabo in innocentia manus meas. Ps. 26vs8." It has a tap, a lid and a three-pass shaped handle that is attached to the body with two angelic figures. The iron rack has a twisted pattern painted with red and green colours, and at each end of the rack are two partly gilded dragons. The rack and the kettle are then accompanied by a bluestone basin, cantilevered on to the wall of a three-sided niche in the sacristy.

According to archive records, this ensemble of objects is referred to as the ‘lavabo’, which consists of the ‘lavaboketel’ (lavabo kettle), ‘lavaborkken’ (lavabo basin) and the ‘lavaborek’ (lavabo rack). The washbasin was made between 1870-1873, which was the same period the main sacristy was built as an expansion project of the church. What is a lavabo? What does the inscription on the kettle mean? Who made these objects? Click on the following buttons to find out more!