Quai Branly Museum – Discover Asia collections

A kaleidoscope revealing the diversity of the continent …

Asian collections, about 58 000 objects, shed light on contemporary society and are valuable testimonials about a considerable number of often overlooked populations. For most of the 19th and especially the 20th century, they are complementary to those of the Louvre and Guimet, devoted to the great ancient civilizations.

The choice fell on museum evoking some big major topics and not on a general presentation of this huge continent representing more than half of the world population today, where there are over two thousand languages alive. The permanent exhibition invites visitors to discover and understand the way of life, know-how, customs and beliefs of these countless societies. Nearly 850 artifacts, common or religious objects, weapons and ornaments, costumes and architectural elements serve this. Following an east-west route the continent, the museum tour is organized around a central span of four large windows costumes evoking these populations. This rich set illustrates the diversity of the Asian continent cultures but also social life, art and its symbolism, the fashions of the past and present. In short, the history of the peoples of this continent… >> read more