Two new historical artefacts have been declared "treasures" by the French Community Government (the Wallonia-Brussels Federation), recognising their important role in the region's cultural heritage.
A 16th century statue of the Virgin Mary by Brussels sculptor Passier Borman, and the 19th century painting 'Satan Sowing the Weeds' by Félicien Rops have joined the list of 235 regional treasures. The French Community Government classifies artefacts as treasures when they are "emblematic elements of intangible cultural heritage".
Treasures identified by a committee of experts, and protected by the government, are items linked to know-how, rituals, events or traditional practices, and are a means of safeguarding and passing down the region's heritage.
Credit: Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
The almost life-sized Virgin Mary statue was created between 1500 and 1520, and was designed specifically for the church of Saint Gertrude in Nivelles (Walloon Brabant).
Made by Passier Borman, a member of an illustrious family of Brussels sculptors whose works are found in religious buildings across Europe, it is the only example of a polychrome wooden statue by Borman in the region.
The French Community Government noted the quality of its execution, and the "remarkable preservation" of its original colours. Its iconography is also rare, as it depicts a young Mary without children, with her hands clasped and her hair loose.
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Meanwhile, the Félicien Rops painting of 1867 depicts the Devil trampling on freshly plowed soil, to scatter the weeds that will destroy the harvest.
The government highlighted the rare method used for the painting, as Rops used oil and grease pencil with gouache highlights, on paper mounted on a wooden panel.
The French Community Government also announced that it will be adopting new labels for cultural treasures. To make them more visible to citizens, new visuals will be used to identify the artefacts where they are displayed in their exhibition locations, such as in museums or churches.
