Table Fountain
Table Fountain, France, Paris(?), 14th century c. 1300-1350
The fountain comprises three tiers of individual sections of cut and bent sheet metal, with cast and chased figures and architectural elements. Attached to these are enameled plaques depicting drolleries (half-human, half-animal figures) some of which play musical instruments. The water wheels and bells add the possibility of motion and sound. The entire assembly is an exquisite piece of Gothic architecture in miniature, with parapets, arcades, vaults, pinnacles, columns, and traceried arches. Originally, the table fountain would have stood in a large catch basin. Water pumped through a central tube (perhaps by means of a foot pump beneath the table), would have emerged at the top through a series of nozzles (shaped as animals and drolleries), creating water jets that in turn forced the rotation of the water wheels and rang the tiny bells. The water would have cascaded from one level to the next through gargoyle heads, finally refilling the catch basin for yet another cycle. Clearly a feat of technical ingenuity, the fountain must have delighted and entertained guests at an elegant table through the motion of cascading water and the accompanying sound of ringing bells. 
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