TEFAF Maastricht 2026 | Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht | MECC

 

TEFAF Maastricht 2026 
 Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht 

TEFAF Maastricht 2026 

  Art & Antiques Fair in Maastricht

TEFAF Maastricht 2026

Visits to museums, castles and antiques fairs are important sources of inspiration for the woodcarver.

These are places where the craftsman draws his ideas from, places where he seeks out new challenges, encounters new surprises and always feels he is learning something new.

To see how fellow woodcarvers 100, 200 or 300 years ago solved their technical problems when creating their works of art, and to appreciate the tasteful proportions they applied in timeless interiors and decoration.

In the 40 years I’ve been working with ornamentation, you’ve come to know where – in which museum or castle – you’ll find what sort of ornament, style, character and quality. Or in which castle it might be possible to take photographs or… make notes, should that be necessary.

At an antiques fair, you simply ask the stallholder if you’re allowed to take photos; they’ll usually let you, because they don’t know you and perhaps – just maybe – you might be a potential customer for them.

The European Fine Art Fair, TEFAF 2026

In this blog post, we’re visiting TEFAF in Maastricht – let’s not hesitate to say it’s the annual event that is eagerly anticipated worldwide.

At TEFAF, the world’s finest and most expensive paintings, sculptures and jewellery are exhibited to potential buyers. The fair is divided into nine sections: Paintings, Antiques, Modern, Design, Paper, Classical Antiquities, Manuscripts,.....

A total of 277 art, antiques and design dealers are taking part, representing Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Korea, Monaco, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Spain, the United States, Uruguay and Switzerland...

The organisers ensure the quality, condition and authenticity of the exhibited artworks by having all works inspected before the fair opens by a team of around 170 experts, divided into approximately 28 committees, with the Art Loss Register also involved.

Admission isn’t cheap (85 euros) and parking costs 21 euros.  It takes me about five hours to visit the most important sections of the fair; by then my ‘hard drive’ is full, so you end up walking past paintings by Rembrandt, Picasso, Rubens, and so on, without really taking them in. As usual, I give contemporary art (‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’) a wide berth.

A few impressions from TEFAF 2026 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

Heraldic coat of arms of the Colquhoun clan | Clan Colquhoun | Arms carved into wood

 

Heraldic arms of the Colquhoun clan 
 Clan Colquhoun

This heraldic coat of arms of the Colquhoun clan was custom-made in 2026. The name originates from Scotland (Dumbartonshire / the region around Loch Lomond). It is a historic Highland clan whose head bears the title Chief of Colquhoun and Luss (currently Sir Malcolm Colquhoun). Their motto is “Si je puis” (“If I can”).

It is not often that I am commissioned to carve a clan arms in wood and to incorporate the heraldic colors.

The client, from the US, was closely involved in the creation process.

The final result fully met the client’s requirements. And will simply serve as a decorative feature in his home. 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood | Family coat of arms with shield bearers | Heraldic coat of arms carved in wood.

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood 

 Family coat of arms with shield bearers 

This heraldic coat of arms was custom-made for a Dutch client in 2025; it depicts the coat of arms of the Loenen family, a family from the Netherlands.

It is not often that I have the opportunity to carve a family coat of arms in wood that features shield bearers.

The client was closely involved in the creation process and visited our woodcarving workshop on several occasions to follow the various stages of production.

The final result fully met the client’s requirements.

Mr. Loenen in our heraldic woodcarving shop

In a second phase, the Loenen family coat of arms was given heraldic colours, which gave it a more striking appearance. The decision to use heraldic colors is a personal choice, and not every client opts for this.

But it was a particularly enjoyable project to work on.

The LOENEN family coat of arms carved in wood 

www.patrickdamiaens.info

Carving a heraldic lion from wood | Wood-carved shield bearer | Heraldry in wood

Carving a heraldic lion from wood 
 Wood-carved shield bearer 

This heraldic lion was custom-made in 2026; it forms part of a Dutch family coat of arms.

In principle, this clawed heraldic lion can also be used as a shield bearer; however, you would need two of them, placed on either side of the coat of arms, where they give the visual impression of holding the shield in place.

The heraldic lion was carved from lime wood.

It was a particularly enjoyable project to work on.

www.patrickdamiaens.info

The PUT family coat of arms carved in wood | Heraldic woodcarving

The PUT family coat of arms carved in wood

Heraldic woodcarving

2026 A new heraldic commission is complete, bespoke for the Dutch *Put family.

* Put in Dutch means Well / source

This family coat of arms was carved from wood based on the design the client sent me.

The Put family coat of arms is carved from lime wood, is approximately 50 cm high and features heraldic colours.

www.patrickdamiaens.info

Oval Office fireplace | Incorrect placement of decorative ornaments | Ornament for the fireplace in the White House in Washington.

 

Ornament for / in a fireplace 
at the White House in Washington.

Oval Office fireplace

It struck me – it must have been sometime in March 2025 – that whenever US President Donald Trump sat in front of a fireplace at the White House (Washington), either alone or with world leaders, gilded ornaments were prominently visible in the background (in or in front of a fireplace).

As I follow world news and related visual material (particularly in connection with ornamentation) to some extent, I couldn’t really recall ever having seen this sort of published visual material in the past.

These are two gilded appliqué ornaments, probably made of plaster, plastic or resin, fitted beneath or, rather, within (?) the fireplace. Why am I mentioning this (?) – why this particular spot?

I have never before seen this in a fireplace – and I have had the pleasure of admiring many, … truly many fireplaces from all stylistic periods over the years in historic buildings – but I have never seen this method of decoration in this specific location or in this manner.

A new US President? Apparently that means ‘he’ is also allowed to redecorate the interior of his residence in Washington. But I do have my doubts as to whether it’s all been done properly; in any case, it’s in poor taste.

But I wouldn’t have expected anything else from this US President; the décor of his private floors in his ‘Trump Tower’ in New York has probably served as a reference – in a word, bling-bling and plenty of kitsch.

Tasteless

If you examine these gilded appliqué ornaments in detail and compare them with one another to spot any differences, you can be certain that they are not unique pieces, but that they have been cast, most likely in plaster, plastic or resin.

Judging by the carving technique, execution and finish, they were made in Asia; these ornaments look European (Régence style period) but the details betray that the maker was not familiar with European style periods – there are too many errors in the composition or in certain elements of the design that an ornamental carver with a European (French) training would never (be allowed to) make.

 

The correct method

If this ornament were to be used correctly, it could only be positioned horizontally, above a door; this is known as a ‘supraporte ornament’. However, in contrast to its current application (as shown in the photograph of the White House), the wider part of the composition should be on the outer side and both parts should be joined together by a moulding.

This arrangement as a supraporte is rare; usually you see a central motif above a door, but it is not unheard of.

However, this ornament could also be used horizontally on low panelling (wall panelling) measuring 60–70 cm in height.

 

=>In fact, this decorative motif is intended for vertical use, as is frequently the case in panelling; here too, the lower and upper motifs must be connected by a moulding – they must not appear to be floating.

Below is a photo showing what this fireplace looked like before Trump became President. Biden is pictured in the photo.

www.patrickdamiaens.info

An Interview with Woodcarver Patrick Damiaens | Heraldicum Disputationes Heraldic Magazine | Heraldic Woodcarver - Sculptor

 

Heraldic Woodcarver-Sculptor

An Interview with Woodcarver Patrick Damiaens 

 Heraldicum Disputationes Heraldic Magazine 

In March 2026, a very extensive 45-page bilingual (NL/ENG) supplement on the work of heraldic sculptor and woodcarver Patrick Damiaens was published exclusively for subscribers to Heraldicum Disputationes.

This separate magazine was published alongside the March issue of this quarterly, the only Flemish journal dedicated to heraldry.

www.patrickdamiaens.info