Proverbs get a face in the collection

At the Streekmuseum Krimpenerwaard, old sayings find a place among objects from the museum’s own collection. The exhibition Koetjes, kalfjes en kantje boord opens on 15 October.

Editorial team · 12 October 2026

AI-generated image of a generic museum gallery with historic everyday objects. — AI image for illustration AI image for illustration · AI-generated · Image source

A proverb is short, but it often carries a whole custom or trade within it. The Streekmuseum Krimpenerwaard links such phrases to objects from its own collection and shows how the habits of the past have lingered on in language.

The proverbs are divided into four themes: life in the past, farm life, crafts and shipping.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559. Photo: Pieter Brueghel the Elder / Wikimedia Commons · public domain · Image source

Maud Brouwers developed the exhibition together with volunteers from the museum.

The official opening is on Thursday 15 October. Visitors can walk in from 3:30 pm; at 4:00 pm alderman Saskia Bijl will open the exhibition. After that, the public can be among the first to visit it, free of charge.

Koetjes, kalfjes en kantje boord can be seen from 15 October at the Streekmuseum Krimpenerwaard in Krimpen aan den IJssel. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm.