Bruges - Burg

In the Schepenzaal ("vierschaar" or lay magistrates court) can be seen the famous chimneypiece (1529) designed by the painter Lanceloot Blondeel and executed in black marble and oak by Guyot de Beaugrant and others, a magnificent piece of Renaissance craftsmanship which in the imaginative quality of its ornamentation anticipates Baroque art. Above an alabaster frieze depicting the story of Suzanna and the Elders are carved oak figures of the Emperor Charles V and his parents, Ferdinand and Isabella of Castille, Mary of Burgundy and Maximilian.

The hand holds were for the magistrates' use while drying their boots.