The Vleeshuis collection is one of the four special collections that has been merged into the MAS since 2011. In addition to the collection of the Vleeshuis, Mas also manages the ethnographic, maritime and folklorist collections. All four MAS collections have their origins in the Museum of Antiquities. In the 20th century it grew into four separate museums. The rearrangement of the Antwerp museum landscape brought them back together in the MAS in 2011.
The story of the Vleeshuis Collection begins about a hundred years ago in the historic building with the same name. The monumental Vleeshuis opened its doors as an annex to the existing Museum of Antiquities in ‘het Steen’. The Vleeshuis Collection is a particularly rich collection: from objects related to the city's history, to coins and medals, archaeological findings, weapons .... Today, the vast bulk of the collection is in storage and not on public display. Since 2006 the Vleeshuis has been home to the Sound of the City Museum.
The free exhibition in the visible storage presented a selection of special pieces that are normally stored in the depot. The visible storage facility also showed the evolutions that have created the Vleeshuis Collection. Over the years, the collection had an irregular process of growth, rejection and reunion. It is a fascinating story that coincides with diverse social, economic and political events. This exhibition revealed some of the history behind the MAS collection and offered the visitor an extraordinary look behind the closed doors of the depot.
Practical information
This exhibition is closed.