Information

Ghent’s Design Museum was conceived in 1903 as a “model museum” that would display “good examples” for the benefit of artists and craftsmen. The oldest objects from the Netherlands include wooden panels and fragments, textiles (including fragments), and tiles. The oldest pieces of furniture date from the sixteenth century. The museum possesses more examples of Baroque than of Gothic or Renaissance furniture. These consist primarily of chairs and storage furniture, such as cabinets and secretaires. About one-third of these items come from the Netherlands. The eighteenth-century pieces of furniture, many of which are regional interpretations of French styles, took center stage in the period rooms of the initial “model museum.” 

Today, the Design Museum is working to expand its collection to become representative of the history of design in Belgium. Since its earliest days, the core of the collection has consisted of utensils and household items. The collection comprises some 24,500 objects from the fifteenth century to the present day, a dozen archives, two documentation series, and a library. 

Sam Meirlaen, Assistant Researcher (September 2025)