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Display of Power | About Prestige and Symbols

17.05.2011 - 18.02.2018

People have been fascinated by power for centuries. Why is power so seductive? What kind of prestige accompanies it? A highly topical theme in which – who knows? – you may find some personal relevance.

Inca's

The exhibition 'L’héritage sacré des Andes' in Draguignan (France) offers an overview of three thousand years of Andean history, from the Chavín culture to the Inca civilization. More than 250 ritual objects have been selected, including four pieces from the Paul and Dora Janssen-Arts collection. 

Discover the collection

Antwerp is a port city where the world has been mooring at the docks for centuries. The MAS collection is the place where city and world meet. 500,000 exhibits offer a varied perspective on the city and its age-old contacts with the world. Some of them are displayed in permanent and temporary exhibitions, but most are kept in storage. In the Visible Storage area, the MAS lifts a corner of the veil. For the really inquisitive, the MAS also has its entire collection on display online.

Study painting First entry of Napoleon to Antwerp

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.

Ancient Glass

Publication of an extraordinary collection

The ancient glass collection is one of the hidden gems at the MAS. It's part of a valuable glass collection numbering nearly 700 objects. For the first time the subcollection of ancient glass is published in a comprehensive catalogue.

City at war

Antwerp, 1940 - 1945

Military violence and mass persecution of Jews and dissenters during World War II broke the city. Personal stories and objects make this period very tangible in this new permanent MAS exhibition.

Tile panel

The tile panel 'The Conversion of Saul' is one of the most important pieces of the MAS I Vleeshuis collection, the collection of applied arts and history from the city of Antwerp.

In collaboration with Antwerp families

The MAS, together with a number of key partners, collected stories from Antwerper citizens about what a "home" means to them. A dozen families collaborated on the exhibition for a year.

Congo in the MAS

The origin of the Congolese collection in the MAS dates back about a hundred years.

An excellent herb cake