Genealogical tree of the family van Berchem alias Van Ranst.

73 x 69 cm, vellum, in French, brown ink and pen, coat of arms enhanced with watercolour and gouache (sl. soiling and some water stains mainly marginal).

In roll with 2 wooden pieces (sm. defects).

Genealogy starting in the 13th century with Wautier - or Wouter - (†1208), vassal of the Duke of Brabant, and ending in the mid-17th century. Nicely ill. with 2 large coats of arms at the top and 82 coats of arms or covenant arms. Signed by the famous Jean de Launay, king of arms of Brabant, countersigned by the kings and heralds of arms Pierre-Albert de Launay (Brabant), Henri Prevost de le Val (Artois) and Bachelier (Hainaut). The de Launay brothers, Pierre-Albert and Jean, were two prolific seventeenth century genealogists settled in the Spanish Low Countries. They are known to have forged false genealogical trees and falsify official documents, certificates, patents, genealogies… Their careers ended in judicial troubles, the outcome of which was tragic for Jean, executed in 1687. Many of their works, conserved in public and private collections, continue to be problematic to this day.
Ref. Dominique Delgrange, "A culture of forgery. The de Launay Brothers and heraldic fraud in the 17th century, in Dix-septième siècle, Vol. 291/2, April 2021, pp. 119-139.