Haarddeksteen met het wapen van Karel V 1552

This cast-iron fireback, likely made in the Netherlands, displays the coat of arms of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. The image uses the visual codes of heraldry to assert power and authority. Lions, pillars, banners, and a crowned double-headed eagle all symbolize imperial strength. Because Charles V ruled over a vast territory, including the Netherlands, this fireback would have resonated with ideas of empire and belonging. It would have reinforced a sense of loyalty to the emperor among those gathered around the hearth. As an object made for the domestic sphere, the fireback reveals how grand political narratives were also embedded in everyday life. By studying the circulation of such images, architectural history and social customs, we can better understand the lived experience of political power in the past.