Schoorsteenmantel in hotel Barbanson te Brussel before 1889

This is an image of an ornate 'Schoorsteenmantel' or mantelpiece in Hotel Barbanson, Brussels, crafted by an anonymous artist. The mantelpiece, constructed of light stone, embodies the extravagance and grandeur that defined elite spaces. Its intricate carvings and imposing size reflect the cultural values of wealth, status, and the conspicuous consumption of luxury materials. Yet, its very existence speaks to broader social inequalities inherent in a society where such opulence could exist alongside widespread poverty and hardship. Notice how the decorative motifs might allude to a celebration of dynastic power, while the fire it frames was a crucial, gendered site of domestic labour. Though its artisans are anonymous, we can imagine their labour too, in the creation of this monument to luxury. This 'Schoorsteenmantel', therefore, invites us to contemplate the complex dynamics of identity and power that shaped its creation and the world it inhabited.