Maidens' House

A few doors from the Museum Mayer Van Den Bergh, you'll find the Maagdenhuis a 17th century former orphanage for girls. This museum has been dedicated to the history of the care of foundlings and orphans. In addition to tracing the history of the orphanage and its orphans, the museum possesses important paintings by Jordaens, Venius and van Dyck and a rare collection of Antwerp faience bowls. The museum's collections also consists of archives (12th - 16th Century), furniture (15th - 18th Century), earthenware (the precursor to Delft earthenware), including a series of polychrome porridge bowls (16th Century), paintings (15th - 17th Century) and sculptures (16th - 18th Century), including the oak statue of Houten Clara (Wooden Clara), which became well-known as it was featured in a short story by Belgian author Hendrik Conscience.