Gable stones (Dutch [gevelstenen] are carved and often colourfully painted stone tablets, which are set into the walls of buildings, usually at about 4 metres from the ground. They serve both to identify and embellish the building. They may also tell us something about its owner.

Gable stone commemorating Frederick V of Bohemia, Egelantiersgracht 153-159, Amsterdam

They are a particularly charming feature of the urban fabric of Amsterdam, and are also found in cities such as Brussels, Lille and Copenhagen. Some 2,500 of these stones are still to be found in the Netherlands, of which around 850 are in Amsterdam and 250 in Maastricht. Many have been conserved by the VVAG(Friends of Amsterdam Gable Stones). Amsterdam Location Country The Netherlands Province North Holland Population 739,295 (1 January 2005) Coordinates 4°89E - 52°37N Website www. ... Emblem of the Brussels-Capital Region Flag of The City of Brussels Brussels (Dutch: Brussel, French: Bruxelles, German: Brüssel) is the capital of Belgium and is considered by many to be the headquarters of the European Union, as two of its four main institutions have their headquarters in the... City motto: – City proper (commune) Région Nord-Pas de Calais Département Nord (59) Mayor Martine Aubry (PS) (since 2001) Area 39. ... City nickname: none Location in Denmark Area  - Total  - Water 526 km² xxx km² xx% Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density 502,204 1,116,979 954/km2 [including water] xxx/km2 [land only] Time zone Eastern: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 55°43 N 12°34 E Copenhagen (Danish: København) is... Maastricht (Limburgish: Mestreech; French: Maestricht; local dialect: Mestreech) is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. ...

Gable stones came into use in the 16th century, in the days before house numbers, taking over from hanging signs as a way of simultaneously and memorably identifying and adorning a house. They normally combine a picture with an inscription, or sometimes just a date. Some illustrate the name or profession of the owner, for instance a quill pen as a badge for an author, or a ship for a sailor. Some are named after notable people (The King of Bohemia) or faraway trading destinations (Königsberg). Some stones act as talismans, quoting from holy scripture. A pious motto repeatedly found on Dutch gable stones is Nooit Volmaakt (Never Completed), a testimony to the householder's belief that only God can achieve perfection. Going beyond practicality or superstition, some stones make a joke, usually a visual pun. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Frederick V, Elector Palatine Frederick V, Elector Palatine and King of Bohemia (August 16, 1596 Huntinglodge Deinschwang, Bavaria – November 29, 1632 Mainz) was son and heir of Frederick IV, Elector Palatine and of Louise Juliana von Orange-Nassau. ... Locator map on an international level map of Kaliningrad Oblast Kaliningrad ( Russian: Калининград, German: Königsberg, Polish: Królewiec, Lithuanian Karaliaučius ), seaport city, capital and main city of the Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania with access to the Baltic Sea. ... Talisman can refer to: An amulet sometimes believed to have mystical powers The Talisman board game from Games Workshop This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A pun (also known as paronomasia) is a deliberate confusion of similar-sounding words or phrases for rhetorical effect, whether humorous or serious. ...

Gable stone of the derelict 16th-century "Old Elephant" tavern, Petite rue de la Violette/Korte Violetstraat, Brussels

The tradition is alive and has moved with the times – new stones are still commissioned, and for instance the Rabobank at Frederiksplein 54 in Amsterdam wistfully commemorates the introduction of the euro with a stone entitled De eerste en de laatste gulden (The first and the last guilder), created by Zutphen sculptor Hans 't Mannetje. Nowadays one can even buy a new gable stone off the shelf on the web! The euro (€; ISO 4217 code EUR) is the currency of twelve European Union member states: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. ... The guilder (Dutch gulden), represented by the symbol Æ’, was the name of the currency used in the Netherlands from the 15th century until 1999, when it was replaced by the euro (coins and notes were not introduced until 2002). ... Zutphen (old alternate spelling: Zutfen) is a municipality and a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands on the right bank of the IJssel at the influx of the Berkel, and a junction station 29 km by rail N.N.E. of Arnhem. ...