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.
Antwerp was a particularly popular port of emigration among Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. These people constituted a sizeable proportion of the Red Star Line’s passengers. The shipping company recruited its “customers” from deep within Eastern Europe.
Unable to choose? Then why not visit every floor of the MAS? Book the full MAS tour, accompanied by a passionate guide. You will receive detailed explanation about all the themed rooms, which will be available free of charge all day long.
CLOSED | The MAS preserves culturally and historically sensitive Congolese heritage that numbers nearly 5,000 cultural objects. MAS staff, together with Congolese colleagues, investigated the circumstances under which this collection disappeared from Congo. The first results of the study were on display in the Visible Storage.
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.
