The concept of ‘popular devitions’ covers a wide range of different phenomena: hierolatry, relics, miracles, pilgrimage sites and pilgrimages, religious faith and superstitions, ritual elements such as holy water, amulets, prayer cards, rosaries, etc. They offer solace to ordinary people in their day-to-day struggles to survive and overcome difficulties.
Brotherhoods not only encourage participation in religious ceremonies and processions, they are also close-knit social networks. During these processions, members carry a processional lantern, together, obviously, with the crest of the brotherhood. The most prominent brotherhood of Bruges is the Edele Confrerie van het Heilig Bloed (Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood).
The glazed cabinet displays different brotherhood shields made of solid silver, silver-plated copper, painted tin or sheet iron. The silver examples include shields of the Confrerie van Berechting (Brotherhood of Justice) from the Sint-Salvator (1747), Sint-Jacob (1827) and O.L.V. (Our Lady) churches (1840).
The triangular flags in the next display cabinet are Bruges pilgrimage pennons, which act as proof of the fact that a pilgrimage has been completed and protect the pilgrim during their journey. They originate in Flanders, where they became popular from the early 16th century. We are showing designs by Guillaume Michiels and also a very rare example for the pilgrimage to O.L.V. van Blindekens (Our Lady of the Blind - approximately 1750). The copper plate in the cabinet is the negative for the Sint-Lenaart pennon of Dudzele.
In the 18th century, German clock makers introduced ’Hinterglasmalerei’ or reverse glass painting. These popular religious scenes are also referred to as ‘églomisé’, after Glomy, a French decorator and framer. The artist painted directly onto glass, which meant that he had to work in reverse, i.e. build up the foreground first and then paint the background.
The prayer cards in the same cabinet display images of people dressed in actual pieces of fabric, a special technique used by nuns involving small pieces of fabric being stuck onto burin engravings and filling in gaps with textile and paper fragments.