A world famous collection that tells us about the extraordinary relationship between man and the world of gods, ancestors and spirits in America before the conquest by the Europeans.
Except for a dozen or so loans, all the pieces on display in the exhibition come from the MAS collection. The objects have been chosen for what they portray, their significance or their (historical) story.
CLOSED - In the exhibition 'Eyecatchers', 16 Antwerp residents gave their own take on our collection and chose their personal masterpiece. Because a masterpiece is something different for everyone.
The nine contemplations on the impurity of the human body depicts how finite the human body is. Japanese monks used such series as an aid to their meditation.
The 54 preserved miniatures in this series together form a visual guide for meditation on a mandala. This is a depiction of the cosmos, in this case with Sarvavid Vairocana – the most important of the five heavenly or dhyani Buddhas.
The MAS has many employees who do their utmost every day to guarantee visitors a safe and relaxed museum visit. Which departments support the museum operation?
In this impressive warehouse, all the museum rooms are stacked like boxes. Follow the Boulevard with its metres-high glass windows as it spirals upwards, and enjoy an incredible view of the city from every level.
The legend of Brabo and Antigoon makes the hand the symbol of Antwerp. But the little hands on the facade are also a reminder of the many patrons who helped build the MAS.
FREE ENTRANCE | The Visible Storage gives you a look behind the scenes of the MAS. More than 180,000 collection pieces on tall racks, stacked and labelled, await their turn to be exhibited.
We are happy to lend our collection to make it known to a wider audience, to encourage new research on the collection and to foster the connection with the heritage community.
