The Great Lectern of Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris

An LAJ reader sends in the following photos and information the great lectern, or "grand lutrin" of Notre Dame de Paris:

The grand lutrin of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is a lectern of 1868. It is part of  Notre-Dame’s treasury and was included in the list of national heritage objects, Monuments Historiques, in 1980.

It was created by the goldsmith Placide Poussielgue-Rusand according to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's drawings.

Made of bronze and golden iron, its height is nine feet. Its baroque style unites classic and fantastical representations among which are found the tetramorph, with the symbols of four evangelists, the heads of twelve apostles, tentacular flowers of aster, two large candelabra, three lecterns marked with the Alpha and the Omega, the biggest being supported by Saint John's eagle with its blazing wings.

Our reader, A. Cento, has also kindly sent in the following photographs which he took of the lectern. I think you'll agree that it is quite impressive.

Photo credit: A. Cento

Photo credit: A. Cento

Photo credit: A. Cento

This lectern would, of course, have been used within the choir of the cathedral and upon it would have been placed the liturgical books from which to chant the liturgy.

If you would like to see additional photographs of the lectern and some of its details, they can be found on Wikimedia commons.