Before Amsterdam had house numbering, they had a curious way of identifying addresses.
The gable stone of a wine press.
A quill pen indicates the owner is a writer.
A ship might indicate the owner is a sailor.
Some gable stones also served as decorations and talismans, quoting from holy scripture.
Others contained whimsical quotes and visual pun.
Many gable stones has been relocated from their original location to the Amsterdam Museum for preservation.
Photo credit:Jim Forest/Flickr
Photo credit:Marion Golsteijn/Wikimedia
Photo credit:bert knottenbeld/Flickr
