Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet

June 4, 1886, under the Joseon dynasty, the very first treaty of friendship and commerce was signed between France and Korea. Fourteen years later, the discreet Korean pavilion was built near the Trocadéro for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. The French public had only a very superficial knowledge of its history. Passionate about Japonism and Chinese collections of all kinds, the Guimet museum is already an essential pillar in the promotion of this discreet art. Barely a few years after its opening in Paris, Emile Guimet, curious about all civilizations and religions, presented to the French public the works brought back by Charles Varat, who carried out ethnographic research and brought back a significant number of ceramic works, paintings, ancient remains . From then on, Korea will gain more and more momentum through its multiple donations which will make the museum one of the most important holders of Korean art collections in the world, outside of Korea. Strolling through the three rooms dedicated to it, we explore the history of this civilization with this visit, to uncover the secrets of its very particular art, opening it up with a Western dimension that is often overlooked.

With: Arnaud Bertrand, Archaeologist and Curator in charge of the Ancient China and Korea department