Prehistory

The Prehistory room presents the vestiges of cultures and civilisations attested in what is now Belgium from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age. Tools, vases and jewellery are put back into context thanks to models and reconstructions, which allow visitors to get an idea of the evolution of daily life during those different periods.

Gallo-Roman Belgium

The conquest of Gaul by Caesar (c. 58–50 BC) marked the beginning of a new era for Belgium. The development of craftsmanship is confirmed by the richness and diversity of artefacts dating from that period: ceramic dishes, fibulae, bronze figurines, as well as glass, bronze and silver containers, the most refined examples of which come from rich funerary furniture. The reconstructions of a Roman villa facade, a heating system, and even a painted wall decor, embody the Gallo-Roman culture.

Merovingian civilisation

Merovingian tomb with funerary items, mid 6th century AD

The Merovingian civilisation is known to us mainly through the worship of the dead. In this context, eight tombs are reconstructed in the room presenting this period. Furniture from other graves is distributed in themed display cases where visitors can admire jewellery, belt buckles and other fibulae.

Middle East

The Middle East, one of the cradles of civilisation, is presented through reliefs, jewellery and many earthen objects dating from prehistoric times to the dawn of the Islamic period (c. 610 AD). The cylinder-seals, personal seals and Luristan bronzes make up some of the highlights of the collection.

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  Female figurine, Halaf period, northern Syria, c. 5500 BC
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  Foundation nail of the temple of Ningirsu, Girsu (Iraq), c. 2144–2124 BC
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  Winged genius head relief from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud (Iraq), c. 883–859 BC

Egypt

The Egyptian collection comprises more than 11,000 pieces, offering a wide view of Egyptian art, from its origins to the Christian era. The most striking works are the Lady of Brussels, the relief of Queen Tiyi (c. 1398–1338 BC), and the colossal head of a pharaoh from the Ptolemaic era (c. 323–30 BC). A mastaba, mummies and their sarcophagi illustrate the funeral customs of the ancient Egyptians.

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  Queen Hatshepsut or Khnum, Egypt, c. 1480 BC
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  Akhenaten's daughter, Amarna period, Egypt, c. 1360 BC
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  Glass and faience necklace, 18th dynasty, Egypt, c. 1325 BC
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  Glass vial, Egypt, c. 3rd–6th century AD

Greece

The collection of vases is the highlight of the Greek section. The forms, styles, decorations, and workshops are presented in all their diversity, from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period (c. 323–31 BC).

Rome

The Roman collections revolve around a few important works, namely remarkable Etruscan mirrors, as well as marble busts from the Imperial period. Many important and impressive remains from Apamea, Syria, including part of the Great Colonnade and outstanding mosaic floors are on view, such as a hunting scene from the palace of the governor of the province of Syria Secunda. The world famous bronze statue of Emperor Septimus Severus is found in the Apamea hall. The Roman collection also includes a large-scale model of the city of Rome during the 4th century AD by the French architect Paul Bigot.

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  View of the classical antiquity collection
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  Marble sculpture of Tyche, first half of the 2nd century AD, unknown provenance
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  Great Colonnade from Apamea (Syria) with statue of Septimus Severus in front
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  Roman mosaic from Apamea depicting a hunting scene, 5th century AD
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  Model of Rome by Paul Bigot, 20th century

Byzantine and Oriental Christian arts

The Byzantine and Christian arts of the East are represented by icons, an episcopal chair, silks, Coptic textiles and ceramics from both Byzantium and Greece, as well as Eastern Europe, the Near East, Russia, Egypt, and Ethiopia.

Islamic art

The diversity of peoples and cultures that make up the Islamic world is reflected in works from Spain (Al-Andalus), North Africa, the Near and Middle East, and India. These testimonies, among which textiles and ceramics are the best represented artistic disciplines, span from the 8th to the 20th centuries.

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  View of the Islamic art collection
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  Glazed ceramic plate, Hispano-Moresque ware, Valencia (Spain), first half of the 15th century
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  Holy knights glazed ceramic plate, Kütahya (Turkey), c. 1718–1719
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  Glazed ceramic tile panel with hunting scene, Iran, c. 18th–19th century

Asia

Works from China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia allow visitors to discover the secular and religious world of this vast continent with diverse cultures and religions. Vietnamese ceramics, Tibetan paintings, Khmer sculptures, Laos drums, delicate Chinese jades and an Indonesian puppet theatre are some examples.

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  Bronze Shiva Nataraja sculpture, Chola style, from Tanjore (southern India), 13th century
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  The metamorphosis of the monk Baozhi temple wall painting, Shanxi or Hebei (northern China), 17th century
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  Fierce goddess bronze statuette, Tibet (China)
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  Theatre mask (Wayang Topeng), Java (Indonesia), possibly 19th century

Polynesia and Micronesia

Statue of Pou Hakanononga, the tuna fishing god, Easter Island, late 13th century

The collections devoted to Polynesia and Micronesia bring together archaeological and ethnographic objects evoking daily life, weaving, the work of bark, stone, wood and bone. One of the centerpieces is undoubtedly the colossal sculpture of Pou Hakanononga, the god of tuna, brought back from Easter Island in 1935 by the Belgian training ship Mercator.

America

The museum holds the largest collection of Ancient American artifacts in Europe. Through 4000 years of history, from 2000 BC to the present day, statuettes, painted vases, jewellery revive the Inca, Mayan and Aztec civilisations. The ethnographic collections also make it possible to discover the feathered art of the native people of Amazonia (such as the famous Moctezuma coat ) and the first nations of North America, represented in particular by the impressive totem pole that welcomes visitors who enter these rooms.

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  View of the American collection
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  Pretty Ladies pre-classic clay figurines, Chupicuaro culture, Guanajuato (Mexico), c. 400–100 BC
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  Offerings bearer wooden sculpture, Chimú culture, northern Peru, c. 1100–1470
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  Headdress, Kayapo culture, Pará or Mata Grosso (Brazil), 20th century
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  Native American totem pole

The Treasure room and Mosan art

The panorama of industrial arts opens with Mosan masterpieces of goldsmithery, presented in the Treasure room with the atmosphere of a medieval crypt. In the access corridor, stained glass windows and textiles from the same period are exposed.

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  Ivory plaque with blue glass from Genoelselderen (Belgium), late 8th century
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  Ivory liturgical comb from the former Abbaye of Saint-Remacle in Stavelot (Belgium), 10th century
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  Virgin and child, Mosan art, 11th century
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  Gilt copper candlestick of Samson with lion, probably from Dinant (Belgium), c. 1200–1250
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  Aquamanile in the form of Phyllis and Aristotle, perhaps Mosan region, c. 1400–1450

From the Gothic period to the Baroque period

A circuit around the Gothic cloister then leads visitors from the 13th to the 17th centuries, the golden age of the Southern Netherlands. In addition to sculptures, stained glass, ceramics, silverware, altarpieces and tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries constitute, by their number and quality, a world famous collection.

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  Entombment of Christ, from Hautrage, Hainaut (Belgium), c. 1502–1505
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  Judgment of Paradise tapestry, Brussels, c. 1519
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  Altar with Passion scenes, from Oplinter, Flemish Brabant (Belgium), c. 1530–1540

From the Baroque period to the 20th century

Works dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries attest to the growing importance of secular art. This is the case with the collection of Antwerp cabinets, the music room and furniture from Liège. The highlight of this set is the reconstruction of the store designed by Victor Horta for Wolfers silversmiths, which serves as a backdrop for a splendid selection of Art Nouveau and Art Deco works. In the Parc du Cinquantenaire, a small pavilion is associated with these collections. Designed by Horta, it houses the bas-relief of the Human Passions, sculpted by Jef Lambeaux.

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  Carriage, 18th century
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  Le Sphynx mystérieux, Van der Stappen, 1897
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  Plumes de Paon, Wolfers, 1898
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  Printemps, Wolfers, 1912

The rooms by subject

Other rooms group works of art by subject. One of the most important copperware sets preserved is housed in the chapel. Glassware, stained glass, tinware, precision instruments, and European ceramics complete the evolution of the arts of fire. The lace room communicates with that of textiles and costumes. Cinematic and photographic devices as well as horse-drawn vehicles complete this vast panorama. There is also the Heart Museum, a room presenting the collection of the cardiologist Boyadjian and made up of objects referring to the heart in all its forms.