Le Renard / Le Cornet, Brussels

Le Renard, which translates to "The Fox", served as the guild house of haberdashers since the 15th century and was rebuilt in 1699. It contains animated bas-reliefs playing with haberdashery above the ground floor, while a slender fox squats above the door. A statue of Justice blindfolded proclaims the guild's honorable intentions and is flanked by allegorical sculptures of the four continents known at the time, suggesting the guild's designs on all markets across the world – an aim to which Saint Nicholas, patron saint of merchants, glistening above, unambiguously confers his blessings.

Le Cornet, next door, was the former boatmen's guild-house and features a fanciful Italianate-Flemish facade by Antoine Pastorana, who drew its gable in the shape of a ship stern in the 17th century (some say it looks like a war frigate). Air is blown on the vessel by means of a special horn, the "cornet", an action also symbolized by the four winds visible at the top of the ship's stern, along with representations of sailors and the head of Charles II of Spain in the medallion.