The Stages of Life: Being Born, Living and Dying in the Ardennes

The Piconrue – Musée de la Grande Ardenne is, above all, a museum of human history. It tells a story and many stories – those of the Ardennes and its people – through a myriad of objects, both sacred and secular, which bear witness to a past that is both distant and much more recent. Most date from the period between 1850 and 1950: a christening cloak and bonnet, a statue of a guardian angel, a wooden pencil case, a sledge, a rattle, a student’s cap, a wedding dress made from parachute silk, a ‘crapaud’ stove, a brass band banner, an accordion, a doctor’s bag, a reliquary cross, a horse-drawn hearse… All this rich heritage, often of a singular or unusual beauty, complemented by period paintings and photographs, tells us about the way of life and mindset of the people of the Ardennes in the 19th and 20th centuries, their joys and sorrows, their special bond with nature, their beliefs, their individual and collective rituals, and the relationships between men and women, and between adults and children.

In this book, you will discover a significant part of this museum treasure, reflecting a world that has vanished. All these objects are presented within their historical, sociological and ethnographic context, occasionally set against the backdrop of societal change. Following the theme of the permanent exhibition at the Piconrue – Musée de la Grande Ardenne, the objects are presented according to the cycle of the Stages of Life, from birth to death, encompassing childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Being born, living and dying in the Ardennes. The entire human journey lies at the heart of this beautiful ‘picture book’, which is also designed as a guide for visitors to the Piconrue.