Bonebakker Key of Amsterdam Collection
The key of Amsterdam is a symbol of power & faith and a signature motive in the Bonebakker Collection.
The collection is based on the historical keys to the city of Amsterdam and were designed and created in 1806 by Adrianus Bonebakker, the founder of the Bonebakker jewellery house. They were handed to Napoleon in 1806.
When in 1813, King William I (William Frederick, Prince of Orange Nassau) attends Amsterdam for his inauguration as the first, real king of the independent Kingdom of the Netherlands, he is offered the set of keys originally made for Louis Napoleon.
The keys are now exhibited in the Amsterdam Museum. In the museum you will also find a recently restored painting by Van Bree showing the scene where Napoleon is handed the keys by the governor of Amsterdam.
It is this key, dating back to 1806, that still has a prominent place in Bonebakker’s jewellery collection today.
AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL FOR THE OLDEST JEWELLER IN THE NETHERLANDS
Today, the key represents a symbolic welcome in Amsterdam, in addition to the usual symbolism of the awakening of power, knowledge, new ideas and the mysteries of the heart.
The jewelry is designed with great attention to detail and created in Bonebakker’s atelier in Amsterdam.