Espace exterieur et véranda

The outside space of the museum

You are here in the convivial space dedicated to Georges Weemaels and you can go out over the stairs.

On your left in a border of plants you can see on a concrete pedestal a great stoneware vat, produced in Andenne and used by firms like Agfa-Gevaert in the 1930s to develop photographic films in an acid bath. (In fact stoneware can resist to acid without altering.)

Then there are a few elements of the lapidary patrimony of the museum. Other stones and crosses along the walls of the glass ceramic workshop complete the collection.

You can also see two stained-glass windows from an artist of our region, G. Weemaels (1928-2002). This painter, sculptor and ceramist was also interested in the art of stained-glass. As they are presented the works are emphasized by the sun which from the end of the morning colours the glass elements.

At the back of the outside space, still on the left, you can see an authentic pipe maker oven. It was discovered during the excavations made by the museum in Andenelle, a village of pipe makers, in the 19..s and it was used by Daniel Verheyleweghen. Brick after brick the oven was taken down and then rebuilt in the garden of the museum. (With 4 fireplaces fed with wood and later with wood and coal the temperature could go up to 1100°. The firing of the clay pipes could last about 30 hours overlooked by the “baker”.)

On the right, along the window of the glass ceramic workshop, you find the rebuilding of the medieval oven (12th cent.) discovered during the excavations led by M. Borremans in Andenelle, rue Grande France, in the 19..s. (A moulding of the discovered oven had been realized by the Service of the Royal Museum of Art and History but it did not reflect reality!)

The oven was rebuilt in the garden of the museum. Its first aim was to fire pots that were put in the firing room. As the firing had been delayed a protecting roof was built and the whole project was postponed.

The rebuilding of a clay mine invites the visitor to go down the stairs into a gallery similar to those where the miners extracted the local clay. This precious white clay (called Derle) will make the fame of Andenne for centuries. A winch, operated by 2 workers, let people go down. A broom roof protected the shaft from rain.

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