Contemporary DIVA'S

Jewellery, diamonds and silver continue to inspire!

DIVA wants to stimulate pioneering craftsmanship and creativity through its collections, activities and strategy, and to be the (inter)national promoter of regional innovative talent. In this way, DIVA provides the contemporary creative sector with the inspiration it needs to put Antwerp and Flanders on the map in the future, just as in the past.

For example, DI...

Flower power

Real flowers are beautiful to look at, but they are over so quickly... The solution? Imitate them in metal and precious stones and you can enjoy their splendour for ever. Floral motifs have always been popular in art across continents and cultures. Different meanings were ascribed to the individual sorts of flower. But be careful when interpreting these motifs because their meaning often varied according to the regio...

In name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost

In the past the Church was a very influential institution. Many churches had a large budget at their disposal, which made them important clients for the arts. As well as the church buildings being richly decorated, the priests and members of the congregation regularly commissioned something for themselves to endorse their faith.

Jewelry as a token of love

Giving gifts as a token of our affection is a long established ritual, and jewelry has always been one of the most popular gifts to give and to receive. However, our ancestors sometimes gave each other what may seem to us rather strange mementos. In the nineteenth century a lover’s lock of hair might be integrated into a piece of jewelry.

Lunden collection

Ardent collector, member of the Committee of the Royal Museums of Art and History, accomplished pianist, plant buff, ‘jonkheer’ by rank… Pierre Lunden (1887-1975) was all of those things. He started off collecting Chinese porcelain, but around 1955 it was domestic, eighteenth-century silver from the Southern Netherlands that began to draw his interest. On his death in 1975, he bequeathed his considerable collec...

Men's jewelry

There have been times in history when men wore as much (or even more!) jewellery as women. Historically, men were the first to wear diamond jewellery, for example, representing invincibility and immortality! In recent years, the concept of 'masculinity' has become less significant and with it, the traditional boundaries between male and female fashion have become blurred. Although jewellery was usually seen as someth...

Movers & shakers

Moving elements give objects that little extra something. They immediately attract attention and arouse fascination, particularly when the parts are decorated with precious stones or diamonds, which provides a dazzling spectacle whenever the wearer moves. A frequently used method introduced in the second half of the eighteenth century is the en tremblant technique where parts of jewels were mounted on a little sprin...

Multifunctional

Versatile. That’s one way to describe these jewels which could be worn not in one but in two, and sometimes even in three different ways. That meant you only needed to invest in one new accessory which was of course easier on the wallet. It also took up less room in the jewelry box.

Objects for daily use

Without giving it a second thought, every day we use a large number of objects which we would find it hard to do without. We have carried a number of these commonplace objects with us for centuries, even though they were always subject to trends and customs. Some of the objects have become more important than ever, while others have died a silent death. For example, the snuffbox was an essential accessory in the eigh...

Our DIVA's

Every museum is proud of its collection. But there are invariably a number of works which stand out above the rest because of their rarity, the way they illustrate a certain period or artist, or because they are so impressive technically.

Patronage of the King Baudouin Foundation

The collection held in funds administered by the King Baudouin Foundation consists of chefs-d’oeuvre and works which have a special significance for the Belgian heritage. They are examples of great historical importance or artistic value and are often reference works relating to a particular artist, style or period. The large and varied collection includes some 10,000 culturally significant items from a variety of ...

Phillipe Wolfers and Gioconda

Although Philippe Wolfers (°1858 - †1929) had been concentrating on sculpture since 1905, his talent as a designer was once again called upon by Wolfers Fréres to create an ensemble for the 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratif et Industriels Modernes. He probably began working on the project in 1923 and approached it as a Gesamtkunstwerk which he named Gioconda. The Gio...