In Cultural Heritage organisation they speak of a golden leopard. Judging from what can be seen, that is correct, but it is unknown whether this stone was originally called that, as hardly anything is known about its background.
It is a modern Art Deco style stone from the 1920s, from Belgium and bought by Boulanger (antiques and curiosities in the Pieterstraat) from the antique dealer Maurice Delvoie.
It was sold on to Smeets, son of the stonemason and owner of Witmakersstraat 13, who placed the stone in the facade himself.
Maurice Delvoi has died and can therefore no longer be asked.
Elsewhere in the facade there is a tinned lead plate, painted over and therefore hardly distinguishable anymore. It shows the archangel Michael overcoming the devil (fire), originally in the colours gold on black.
This is a so-called fire plate, which was attached to a house as a kind of policy to prove that it was insured against fire.
PRIMES BRUXELLES stands for Compagnie de Bruxelles S.A. pour l'assurances e primes contre l'incendie, la foudre et les explosions. This company was active in Maastricht alongside other insurance companies from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
Do you have additional information about this stone or a better suggestion for the translation? Please share it with us using the form below. We will carefully evaluate your contribution and keep you informed.
In order to make the funding of running costs possible now and in the future, please support us and register as a donor to our foundation.
Support us
