Various funds enable us to preserve significant pieces of our heritage and enrich our public collections.

A rare piece of silver joins the Museum of Seneffe’s collection

A beautifully made piece of silver acquired by the de Looz Fund has become part of the silver collection at the Château de Seneffe. This silver presentation plate was made in Tournai in 1679-1680. Offered on the occasion of a baptism it is decorated with stylised shells, carnations, tulips, peonies and daffodils. We know that other older examples of this type of plate were made in the Antwerp region with, like this one, floral decorations or mythological scenes, but this plate is particularly special. Tournai silverwork from the 17th century is rather rare and there are few examples of it in our museums, so having this piece in one of our public collections was a real opportunity that the Foundation was able to seize.

A small table bell made by Nicola Wodon to be seen in Namur

The Pierre François Tilmon Fund has as its mission the acquisition, conservation and restoration of moveable cultural heritage for the museums of Namur. It is not surprising, therefore, that this small table bell, signed by Wodon, attracted the fund’s attention. Whilst this type of object is not uncommon, the fact that it was made in Namur explains its rarity. The bell was made by silversmith Nicolas-Joseph Wodon (1710-1785), who became the doyen of his profession and then a moneychanger for the Namur magistrature. Later he became Lord of Sorinne-la-Longue. The bell dates from around 1770. The Pierre François Tilmon Fund made the acquisition for the Groesbeeck de Croix Museum in Namur.

The rich musical collection of jazz musician Jean Warland

The important role of Belgians in European jazz has been somewhat forgotten of late. Yet their contribution was far from negligible, as witnessed by the career of accordionist and double bass player Jean Vanden Heuvel (1926-2015), known under the name of Jean Warland. As the leading Belgian jazz double bass player of the 20th century, Jean Warland played in various bands that marked the history of European jazz. Throughout his career, Jean Warland aimed to transmit his great passion for jazz to younger generations. Following the musician’s recent death, the Heritage Fund acquired his studio collection and it will become part of the collections at the Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) in Brussels.