Haardsteen met het Rijkswapen en een banderolle met het opschrift Plus Oltre

This is a firestone, bearing the Dutch coat of arms and a banderole inscribed with "Plus Oltre," or "Further Beyond." The Pillars of Hercules flank the Spanish coat of arms, topped with an imperial crown. These pillars, symbolizing the edge of the known world, and the phrase "Plus Oltre" became Charles V’s motto. The pillars can be traced back to ancient mythology. They marked the boundary between the known and unknown, a warning to sailors not to venture further. Yet, Charles V adopted them as a symbol of his ambition to transcend limits, embracing the New World. Consider this firestone as more than a mere heraldic emblem; it is a powerful symbol of cultural ambition, charged with the psychological energy of exploration and conquest. The image reverberates through time. In each iteration, it reflects our timeless desire to push beyond the known.