Pledging a sculpture at the Brussels Mont-de-Piété

A single counter for pawning a sculpture in Belgium

The Mont-de-Piété of the City of Brussels describes itself as the country's only pawnbroker, under the law of 30 April 1848. A statuette left with another intermediary in Liège, Ghent or Namur would therefore fall outside this public scheme.

Bronze, stone, metal: the accepted materials

The official page on sculptures covers three materials: bronze, stone and metal. The work must bear the signature of an artist active on the art market; an anonymous decorative piece is unlikely to receive an offer.

Artists' names given as examples

To illustrate its policy, the Mont-de-Piété displays works by Jeff Koons, Barye, Clodion, Moreau, Richard Orlinski, J. Kiti, H. Curadze and the Daum house. The list is only indicative: it signals the expected level of market value rather than a closed catalogue.

The €2,500 threshold and the certificate of authenticity

As soon as a sculpture is valued at more than €2,500 at auction, a certificate of authenticity is required. Without one, the work may, by mutual agreement, remain on deposit at rue Saint-Ghislain while the appraisers check its authenticity and signature.

How the appraisers set the amount lent

The appraisers reason on the likely hammer price, not on the gallery purchase price. The loan then represents 50 to 70% of that figure, depending on the nature of the item, with a minimum of €30 set by the Mont-de-Piété.

Remote pre-valuation before transport

Moving a bronze weighing several kilos to the Marolles takes some organising. A photo pre-valuation through the Online Valuation page, or by telephone on 02/545 77 12, tells you whether the work interests the service before any transport.

Six months at 6.5%, then 10.5% on extension

The initial contract runs for 180 days at a fixed rate of 6.5% a year, or 3.25% for the period, with interest counted per fortnight. From the first extension, the rate rises to 10.5%: see the duration of a pawn loan in Belgium.

Administration fee capped at €60

On signing, the Mont-de-Piété deducts once 3.5% of the estimated resale value, up to a limit of €60. For a sculpture with a market value, that cap is quickly reached; an extension also costs €4 in handling fees.

If the loan is not repaid: auction and resale right

A free letter warns the borrower at least 30 days before the work is entered in a sale. At the hammer, the artist's resale right applies from €2,000, at a rate of 4%, capped at €12,500 per work.

The surplus goes to the sculpture's owner

After deduction of capital, interest and fees, the surplus of the sale price is paid in full to the depositor; a notice is sent one month after the sale. The stages are set out on our page about the auction of pledged items in Belgium.

Sculptures, paintings and other art objects

Sculptures belong to the family of art objects, alongside ceramics, crystal and display-cabinet pieces. Paintings follow the same €2,500 threshold: see pawning paintings in Belgium for their own specific criteria.

What differs from the French institutions

In France, the monopoly belongs to the Crédit Municipal institutions, with a legal ceiling of two thirds of the valuation set by article D514-8 of the Code monétaire et financier. Pawning sculptures in France therefore follows other rates and durations.

The competent public institution

• Mont-de-Piété de la Ville de Bruxelles: Public lending institution run by the City of Brussels, at rue Saint-Ghislain 19, which describes itself as Belgium's only pawnbroker.

The journey of a pawned sculpture in Brussels

1. Photograph the signature, the base and any foundry marks, then request a pre-valuation online or by telephone.
2. Gather the certificate of authenticity if the work could exceed €2,500 at auction, together with the invoice or any provenance document.
3. Go to rue Saint-Ghislain during lending hours with your identity document; the appraisal is free and needs no appointment.
4. Accept or decline the offer: if it does not suit you, the sculpture is returned to you at no cost.
5. Sign the 180-day contract and receive the sum in cash or by bank transfer, minus the administration fee.
6. Repay before the due date to recover the work, or extend remotely by paying the interest and fees.

Costs of a loan secured on a sculpture

Documents to bring with the work

• Valid identity card or passport proving residence in the European Union
• Proof of address if your address is not shown on the identity document
• Certificate of authenticity for any sculpture valued above €2,500
• Purchase invoice or any document proving that you own the work
• Certified power of attorney if you are acting on the owner's behalf

Common mistakes with a pawned sculpture

• Bringing a resin reproduction or an unsigned edition cast and hoping for an offer comparable to an original bronze by a sought-after artist.
• Turning up without a certificate with a major work, then discovering it must stay on deposit during verification instead of qualifying for immediate payment.
• Working out the cost at 6.5% when any extension switches the loan to 10.5% a year until full repayment.
• Forgetting to provide a bank account: without one, a surplus left unclaimed two years after the sale becomes the property of the Mont-de-Piété.
• Handing the statuette to a second-hand buyer calling himself a pawnbroker, when the Mont-de-Piété describes itself as the only one in Belgium.

General information, up to date as of October 2026 and non-contractual: always check the terms with the Crédit Municipal or the institution concerned.