The baptismal ark, which came into use as early as the 17th century, was used to protect the child, especially in the winter months, on the way from the home to the church on the occasion of its baptism, which used to be administered strictly by the eighth day of life.
The Coronini specimen is richly decorated with carved and gilded figures and decorations, indicating an aristocratic provenance. Other well-known examples, such as those in the Gortani Museum in Tolmezzo or the Cenedese Museum, are much simpler and more sober. Often these arks were in fact owned by the midwives themselves, who made them available to the families they worked for.
