Authentic 19th Century European French Meerschaum Holy Water Font Napoleon III Era

Details

I’m having a hard time letting this one go. This treasure is a rare authentic 19th century European holy water font (likely French Napoleon III Era). This description is lengthy, but the history of this piece amazes me.
The back base is hand carved wood with a cameo center depicting a figure who looks like Jesus. The cameo’s material is highly likely to be Meerschaum (also known as sepiolite or e’cume de mer). Meerschaum is a naturally soft, porous mineral that allows master artisans to carve incredibly precise designs. Over generations of exposure to air and touch, authentic Meerschaum absorbs oils and naturally ages from pure white to a warm creamy tan or amber hue. You can see that this is the case with the cameo’s material on this water font.
The white water basin is made of fine porcelain molded into a seashell silhouette to symbolize baptism and spiritual washing.
During the 1800s, these compact personal fonts were hung near entrance doorways or bedposts of Catholic family homes. Family and visitors would dip their fingers into the shell to make the sign of the cross as a daily act of blessing and remembrance.
Many of these pieces originally featured a protective domed glass over the cameo medallion. This piece is missing the glass dome. It was probably lost or broken many years ago. The cameo has a few flea bites, but is in good condition overall. The carved wood back (which testifies to its 19th century age) has multiple cracks , but they are mainly on the face of the piece and do not extend through to the back.
It measures approximately 3” wide by nearly 6.5” tall. It still has a metal loop on the back should you decide to hang it on your wall.
Please keep in mind that this piece is well over 125 years old and it has blemishes from age and usage. It’s a beautiful, rare, highly collectible piece of genuine religious history. And lastly, they are very hard to find in the U.S. Most of these relics are found and remain in European countries.