The National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet, abbreviated as “Mnaag” and commonly called the Guimet Museum, is an Asian arts museum located in Paris (France), 6, place d’Iéna, in the 16th arrondissement. It was inaugurated in 1889 under the initial name of Museum of Religions.
Founded on the initiative of the Lyon industrialist and collector Émile Guimet (1836-1918) for the permanent presentation of his collection — previously kept at the former Guimet museum (1879) in Lyon — the Guimet museum in Paris occupies a specially designed building designed for this purpose from 1888 to 1889 by the architect Charles Terrier. From 1994 to 2001, a complete restructuring-renovation was carried out by architects Henri and Bruno Gaudin. Today it presents one of the most complete collections of Asian arts in the world.
Devoted to travel, Guimet was in 1876 commissioned by the minister of public instruction to study the religions of the Far East, and the museum contains many of the fruits of this expedition, including a fine collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and objects relating not merely to the religions of the East, but also to those of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. One of its wings, the Panthéon Bouddhique, displays Buddhist artworks.
Some of the museum’s artifacts, originating from Cambodia, are connected with the studies conducted by the first scholars to be interested in Khmer culture, Louis Delaporte and Etienne Aymonier. They sent examples of Khmer art to France at a time when museums were not existing in Southeast Asia, with the agreement of the King of Cambodia, to show to Europe the high level of the ancient Khmer culture.
From December 2006 to April 2007, the museum harboured collections of the Kabul Museum, with archaeological pieces from the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum, and the Indo-Scythian treasure of Tillia Tepe.
The facade, roofs and library were listed as historic monuments by a decree of July 11, 1979.
Address: 6 Pl. d’Iéna, 75116 Paris, France.
Hours:
Friday 10 AM–6 PM
Saturday 10 AM–6 PM
Sunday 10 AM–6 PM
Monday 10 AM–6 PM
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 10 AM–6 PM
Thursday 10 AM–6 PM
Phone: +33 1 56 52 54 33
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