Spiegeltenten
Built from wood, cut mirrors, canvas, leaded glass, and detailed in velvet brocade, each has its own personality, style, and name.
There are only a handful of these unique, and legendary spiegeltents left in the world and Van Rosmalen owns some of the finest. Our spiegeltents have spent their lifetimes at the bequest of festivals, and village fairs throughout Europe, playing host to the world’s greatest cabaret performers and musicians.
Each spiegeltent creates a romantic and enchanting ambience, echoing the days of the tango and waltz, and provides a genuinely unique setting for your guests, whatever the event. Interested in our spiegeltents? Be sure to visit our spiegeltent hire page.
Spiegeltenten history
Spiegeltents have been around for over 100 years. Throughout the years, many different styles have developed between the different types of tents. Original spiegeltents are made by woodworkers with eye for detail. Cut mirrors, high-quality fabric and a sense of art.
Art nouveau or jugendstil is a well-known style of art, which is known for its use of flowing lines and the usage of glass. This style is often used while building a spiegeltent and expresses itself in decorated facades and interiors.
A typical example of this style is the so-called ‘mandolin’: a curved backrest, which also forms a divider between the different booths. Paired with the traditional mirror wall, it forms the traditional style that characterizes the original spiegeltents.
Many different and ‘new’ types of spiegeltents have been developed in the history of spiegeltents. Because of the high cost and craftsmanship involved in building a spiegeltent, many entrepreneurs have experimented with cheaper alternatives of building a spiegeltent.
This type of spiegeltent differs from the original spiegeltent regarding their details. The original Flemish and Dutch spiegeltent makes exclusive use of flowing lines and cut glass. Their Walloon counterparts are more sober, resulting in cheaper production. Van Rosmalen is proud of their collection of spiegeltents, which has made no concessions regarding quality. We think that a traditional product should remain pure and that the aim of the artist has to remain.
