The Clockarium museum in Brussels, which opened in 2000, rounds up a unique collection of ceramic mantel clocks from the first half of the 20th century. These ceramic clocks in art deco style were extremely popular in Belgium and Northern France during the 1920s and 1930s. Because they were affordable to most, they were displayed in numerous homes all over these regions – in all kinds of colours, styles and shapes. They were showpieces, conspicuously decorating the mantelpiece. After the Second World War, the mantel clock fashion faded away.
The Clockarium takes visitors on a historical, social and cultural journey into the past. The museum possesses about 4000 clocks, of which around 1300 are exhibited. These charming timepieces were mainly manufactured in the interwar period by ceramic factories in Belgium, France, Germany and the Czech Republic. The museum is housed in a beautiful art deco house from 1935. It only offers guided visits.