Gezicht op een huis in Brugge, België before 1880

This photograph captures a brick house in Bruges, its facade adorned with symbols that speak to its historical and cultural context. Note the stepped gable roof, a distinctive architectural element. These stepped gables carry echoes of ancient fortifications, reminiscent of ziggurats and pyramids—symbols of power, status, and aspiration. These elements can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia, where the stepped form signified a connection between earth and the heavens. Over time, this form migrated westward, appearing in medieval cities as emblems of civic pride and mercantile ambition. The repetition of the stepped motif engages our subconscious, evoking a sense of hierarchy. Consider how this architectural language resurfaces, transformed and reinterpreted across time and space, reflecting humanity's enduring quest for meaning and order.