Flanders possesses a magnificent collection of movable cultural heritage. With the 'Masterpieces Decree', the Flemish government wants to protect these unique cultural objects. Based on the decree, a list of rare and indispensable objects was compiled. Some of them are part of the MAS collection.
Two pustaha in the ‘Christoffel Collection’ have been identified in all likelihood as having been looted from Sisingamangaraja XII, a Batak ruler and national hero. What can palaeographic, linguistic and topographic analysis reveal about their provenance, history, and intended use?
Concealed behind Dutch Ethical Policy there was the reality of resistance to colonial rule being violently suppressed through so-called ‘pacification’ campaigns. Christoffel became simultaneously one of the most notorious agents of these campaigns and one of the most highly decorated.
How are indigenous Batak belief systems preserved and transmitted today, and what challenges do the communities that practise them face? What meanings are held by the Batak artefacts ulos/uis, pustaha and tunggal panaluan within their communities of origin, and how has this changed over time?
In preparation for the family exhibition Anybody home?, the MAS had a 19th-century wooden dollhouse restored. The house and its furnishings were carefully refurbished.
The MAS collection consists of more than 500,000 objects about art, cultural traditions and history of the city and port of Antwerp. But also of Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
The Boulevard spirals upwards through nine floors like a glass spiral. It treats you to a magnificent view of the city, getting higher and higher, changing constantly. The rooftop panorama offers a 360-degree view of the city, the harbor, and the world.
Napoleon's visit to Antwerp in 1803 was a high point for the city on the Scheldt. Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife, ordered a painting to immortalise the entry. This is a preliminary sketch for that.
