SPIEGELTENT
‘It is our pleasure to introduce you to the wonderful world of the spiegeltent’. A European spiegeltent (or magic mirrors) is the ultimate cabaret and music salon. It is a hand-hewn pavilion used as a travelling dance hall and wine tasting marquee since the early 20th century. They used to be the number one attraction at Belgian funfairs.
The tent is built from wood, cut mirrors, canvas, leaded glass, and detailed in velvet brocade. Each one is unique with its own name, personality, and style. Only a handful of these special and legendary tents remain in the world and Van Rosmalen owns some of the most phenomenal ones.
We pride ourselves in the size of our collection, due to the rarity of the spiegeltent. Due to this rarity, we love being able to share each and every one of our tents with the world, and create a magical place at your event. Most of our tents have played host to many events throughout Europe, housing the world’s greatest cabaret performers and musicians.
Our spiegeltents
SPIEGELTENT HISTORY
The spiegeltent has been around for over a century. Throughout the many years of its existence, many different styles have developed between the different types of the tents. They were originally made by woodworkers with eye for detail, including cut mirrors, high-quality fabric and a sense of art.
Art nouveau or jugendstil is a well-known style of art, particularly known for its usage of flowing lines and the usage of glass. The art nouveau style is the most common art style used while building a spiegeltent and expresses itself in decorated facades and interiors. A typical example of this art style is what’s called a ‘mandolin’: a curved backrest, which also forms a divider between the different booths that exist within the tent.
Paired with the traditional mirror wall, it forms the traditional style that characterises an original spiegeltent. Many different and ‘new’ types have been developed in the history. Because of the high cost and craftsmanship involved in building these tents, many entrepreneurs have experimented with cheaper alternatives of building.
This type differs from the original one in regards to 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 every single tent in their collection.
We’ve made no concessions regarding quality. Our ideology is that the traditional spiegeltent should remain pure and the intentions of the artist should remain in the created tent.
Magical and Unique
Whatever the event, each spiegeltent creates its own enchanting and romantic ambience, echoing the days of the waltz and the tango. A genuinely unique setting for your guests will be created by each and every tent. Everyone is able to hire a tent, whatever your event may be: festivals, dances, parties, theatre shows, weddings, or dinners.
Would you like to create your own magical place by renting one of our spiegeltents? Be sure to visit our hire page, and find the one that speaks to you!
