At
the west end of the North Transept is the large marble font of
St Paul's Cathedral. It was carved in 1726-1727 at a cost of
£350 by Francis Bird - the stonemason who was responsible,
among other things, for the huge sculpture which adorns the
pediment outside the west end of the Cathedral: the Conversion
of St Paul. It is carved in blue-veined Italian marble, which
has a yellowish tint. The form, with its deeply scooped
gadroons, is unusual and more closely resembles grand items of
table silver than a font.
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