The Eilandje was the place where people gathered on their way to the New World. The magnificent Red Star Line steamers moored on the quay just before the bend in the Scheldt River. When the steam whistle announced an impending departure, the quay swarmed with activity. The Eilandje is currently a sought after place in the city.
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 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.
1914. More than 1.5 million Belgians flee the violence of WWI. 2014. More than 45 million people worldwide have left their homes due to violence and oppression.
Jan Corteel devoted himself to promoting the story of Nello and Patrasche in Antwerp and Belgium. Over the years, Jan even built up a Nello and Patrasche collection, with all kinds of merchandise and various editions of the book. He donated this collection to the MAS.
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.
