Plaque with two apostles under an arcade

In 2021, we discovered three plaques in painted enamel from the second half of the seventeenth century in Jean van Caloen's (1884-1972) library on the Loppem Castle grounds. Each plaque depicts a portrait of a Roman emperor in profile. The portraits, painted in grisaille on a black background, are reminiscent of cameos. This discovery led to the decision to expand the collection — started by Jean van Caloen, and continued with the addition of several pieces by his son Roland (1920-2014) — to include an artistic discipline that was hitherto not represented in the exhibition rooms at Loppem Castle, namely medieval enamel pieces.

In 2022 and 2024, the Jean van Caloen Foundation, which manages the castle grounds and its collections, purchased
several objects in enamel dating from 1210 to 1520 and originating from Limoges and Central Italy. The medieval pieces
were painted using the champlevé technique, while the artworks from the Renaissance are painted enamel pieces. Therefore, both techniques are represented in the collection.