Musée Cernuschi

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Musée Cernuschi, exterior view

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The great hall of the Musée Cernuschi

The Musée Cernuschi (; 'Cernuschi Museum'), officially also the ('Asian Arts Museum of the City of Paris'), is an Asian art museum located at 7 avenue Vélasquez, near Parc Monceau, in Paris, France. Its Asian art collection is second in Paris only to that of the Musée Guimet.

The nearest Paris Métro stops to the museum are Villiers or Monceau on Line 2.

History

The museum was founded in 1898 by Henri Cernuschi (1821–1896) in the mansion that used to be his home. It describes itself as the second-oldest Asian art museum in France, and the fifth-oldest Chinese art museum in Europe.

Following a major renovation project from 2001 to 2005, during which the museum was closed, its total exhibition space reached 3,200 m². Another renovation was conducted in 2019–2020.

On 1 January 2013, the Cernuschi Museum became part of the public institution Paris Musées, together with 13 other museums belonging to the City of Paris.

Collections

Over the years, the museum's collection has gradually grown from nearly 5,000 objects initially to about 15,000 as of 2021. Originally its collections were overwhelmingly of objects from China and Japan, which have been complemented more recently by artefacts from Korea and Vietnam. Some 900 objects are on permanent exhibition. Most prominent is the large Buddha of Meguro, a Japanese bronze from the 18th century, from the original collection of Henri Cernuschi. Other permanent exhibits include:

• a fine collection of archaic bronze pieces (15th to 3rd centuries BCE)
• Han dynasty objects (206 BCE – 220 CE)
• Funerary statues from the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 CE) and Sui dynasty (581–618 CE)
• Tang dynasty statues (618–907 CE)
• Ceramics from the Tang and Song dynasties (6th through 13th centuries CE)
• funerary masks in gilded bronze dating from the Liao dynasty (907–1125)

Collection highlights

Source:

China

• Jade disc. Shandong, 2100–1700 BCE
  Jade disc. Shandong, 2100–1700 BCE
• Zun vessel, Shang dynasty, 12th century BCE
  Zun vessel, Shang dynasty, 12th century BCE
• Bird-shaped jade, 11th century BCE
  Bird-shaped jade, 11th century BCE
• You vessel in shape of a tiger, Shang dynasty, 1100–1050 BCE
  You vessel in shape of a tiger, Shang dynasty, 1100–1050 BCE
• Two chariot elements, Western Zhou, 1050–771 BCE
  Two chariot elements, Western Zhou, 1050–771 BCE
• Ding vessel, 900–850 BCE
  Ding vessel, 900–850 BCE
• Figurine of a Lady, Western Han, 206 BCE – 9 CE
  Figurine of a Lady, Western Han, 206 BCE – 9 CE
• Bear, Han dynasty, 206 BCE – 220 CE
  Bear, Han dynasty, 206 BCE – 220 CE
• Heavenly Musician, Northern Wei, 386–534
  Heavenly Musician, Northern Wei, 386–534
• Barbarian with a horn, Tang dynasty, 625–675
  Barbarian with a horn, Tang dynasty, 625–675
• Cavalry musicians, Tang dynasty, 618–907
  Cavalry musicians, Tang dynasty, 618–907
• Female funerary mask, Liao dynasty, 907–1125
  Female funerary mask, Liao dynasty, 907–1125
• Ceramic pillow, Jin dynasty, 1115–1234
  Ceramic pillow, Jin dynasty, 1115–1234
• Platter, Qingbai ware, Southern Song dynasty, 1127–1279
  Platter, Qingbai ware, Southern Song dynasty, 1127–1279
• Bowl, Jun ware, 14th century
  Bowl, Jun ware, 14th century
• Bronze statue of Bodhisattva, Yongle era, 1403–1424
  Bronze statue of Bodhisattva, Yongle era, 1403–1424
• Painting of Hanlin Academy, 1744–1745
  Painting of Hanlin Academy, 1744–1745
• Storm by Fu Baoshi, 1944
  Storm by Fu Baoshi, 1944

Japan

• Foldable lectern (shokendai 書見台), 1573–1603
  Foldable lectern (shokendai 書見台), 1573–1603
• Water pot (mizusashi), 1680–1700
  Water pot (mizusashi), 1680–1700
• Buddha Amitābha, 18th century
  Buddha Amitābha, 18th century
• Tiger, wood and lacquer, 18th–19th century
  Tiger, wood and lacquer, 18th–19th century
• Bronze censer (kōro) with dragon made by Kimura Toun (c. 1800–1870)
  Bronze censer (kōro) with dragon made by Kimura Toun (c. 1800–1870)

Vietnam

• Bird-shaped emblem, Bronze, 50–400
  Bird-shaped emblem, Bronze, 50–400
• Platter with phoenix, c. 1450
  Platter with phoenix, c. 1450
• Censer, 17th century
  Censer, 17th century

Korea

• Bell, 1311
  Bell, 1311
• Epitaph of Yi Kyŏngjik (1577–1640), Calligraphy on porcelain tablets, c. 1640
  Epitaph of Yi Kyŏngjik (1577–1640), Calligraphy on porcelain tablets, c. 1640

References

• Cernuschi Museum official website (French, English, Chinese, Japanese)
• Paris Musées official website
• Marie-Thérèse Bobot, The Chinese Collections of the Cernuschi Museum: General Guide, Paris-Musées, 1993. Template:ISBN.
• Waldemar George, "Art in Paris: The Cernuschi Museum", The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 50, No. 290 (May, 1927), pp. 283–284.
• Vadime Elisseeff, Bronzes Archaïques Chinois Au Musée Cernuschi (Archaic Chinese Bronzes), L'Asiathèque, 1977.
• Cernuschi Museum feature on Paris Walking Tours website