Paintings in the entrance hall of an 18th C. monument on the Amsterdam canals
Latin names in the tall niches of this entrance hall allude to discoveries and territorial expansions in the colonial period from which this residence dates. The names belong to the animals seen a little further, high up on the walls and ceilings.
Combined, the animals and their classical nomenclature reflect the exchange that took place between language and culture during colonial times: red macaws, cockatoos and green parrots are able to mimic the names we have given them. Geckos, also known as Tokeh lizards, are named in semblance of the sounds they make in the disquiet of a tropical night.
It is as if these animals have just walked out of a natural history collection.
Here and there a gecko crawls amongst the names on the walls that are washed with green earth. It's presence is generally considered to be a safeguard for domestic happiness.