Brussels Art Fair: A journey back in time
A month ago, I went to Place Sablon, in the centre of Brussels and I had the pleasant surprise of seeing all the antique shops and the art galleries open for The Brussels Art Square which took place between the 20th and the 22nd of September.
The Brussels Art Square is a prestigious antique show, held annually in the Sablon Square. It showcases a wide variety of art, antiques and furniture pieces from art galleries and antique dealers from all over Belgium.
The fair is open to the general public, which means that anybody can visit it, even if they are not buyers. Brussels Art Square includes everything from classical European paintings to rare antiques from Japan to contemporary artworks and jewellery. Collectors, museum curators and art enthusiasts attend to discover, purchase or just appreciate exceptional art pieces from different cultures.
The event was like a time machine, taking visitors on an exciting journey across the globe and different time periods. Each part of the exhibit displayed antiques from different parts of the world such as Japan, India, Europe and the Pacific Islands, allowing us to see the art of different people around the globe and what they valued as important and spiritual.
Here are my favourite pieces from the event
The first piece of art is a monumental bronze sculpture from the thirties, representing a fish. The sculpture looks like it was inspired by Japanese designs and represents a Japanese carp. It was made by an anonymous Scandinavian sculptor and weighs between 120 and 150 kg, therefore it is one of the most imposing objects on display at this event.
The second piece of art is a Kandjar knife, a curved dagger, from India, under the Mughal Empire between the 16th and 17th centuries. Its blade is slightly curved and it has a horse-shaped handle. The Mughals held horses in high regard and were even a symbol of power. The horse-shaped handle is made out of ivory and contains golden details and eyes made out of ruby, which indicates that it must have been the knife of a high dignitary.
The third art piece is an ancestral pillar, common in Melanesian culture. This stake comes more precisely from the Sawos people, an indigenous people from Papua New Guinea that live in the center of the island, mainly around the Sepik River. It used to decorate the House of Ancestors, a place where people met each other for different matters, such as tribal councils, community events and religious gatherings. It represents an important man in the community. By carving him into the pillar, the Sawos people show him respect. These three art pieces can be found in the Patrick & Ondine Mestdagh Fine Antiques shop.
The fourth art piece is from the Kitsune Japanese Art gallery and it represents a Kakemono, which is a silk scroll that can be hung on a wall and that is used to exhibit a painting or calligraphy. Kakemonos used to be exhibited in tea houses. This one was painted by Soga Shohaku in the 18th century. It represents Haku Zosu who is a Japanese folk priest that takes the appearance of a fox. Many legends exist around Haku Zosu, but in Japanese culture, killing a fox is considered to bring bad luck.
Julien Tonon / S7FRD / EEB1 Uccle
