oak veneered with ebony, tortoiseshell, agate, gilded copper ornaments and a painting in oil on copper
Martine Maris, curator of the Rubens House: "In the renovated Rubens House, we want to emphasise the domestic character even more. We have fantastic artworks by Rubens and his associates. But what makes the Rubens House unique is that this building was the home and studio of Rubens. We also display objects that tie in with this, such as this recently restored home altar."
"At the centre of this beautiful Baroque home altar, you can see a miniature of a painting by Rubens. The contrast between the ebony, tortoiseshell (the mottled red shell of a tortoise - ed.), gold and copper is remarkable. This is almost kitsch, as lavish as this piece of furniture is. It fits perfectly with the Rubens House: on the one hand, there is that homely feel; on the other, it is an illustration of Rubens' sumptuous interior. The same applies for the house of Moretus, where this piece belongs just as well. A home altar is typically a piece that is found in private quarters. At Museum Plantin-Moretus, you now find it in the sleeping quarters, where it fits well with the rest of the decor."
The home altar is in the bedroom, Room 24, upstairs.
