Musée Guimet
Les Très Riches Heures de la Cour de Chine (1162-1796)
Musée
des Arts asiatiques Guimet, 6, Place d'Iéna, 75016.
01.56.52.53.00. Until 24 july 2006.
Five years ago, the Guimet Museum was entirely renovated. To celebrate
this birthday with highlight, this prestigious Musée dedicated
to Asiatiques arts presents, for the first time in Paris, nine imperial
scrolls which are as many fabulous treasures of the painting of Qing.
At the beginning, these scrolls were imperial orders which paid homage
to the principal historical events during the reign of three of the
largest Qing emperors: Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Some of these
scrolls measure up to 16 meters. Their brittleness prevents from often
show them out, which contributes to the prestige of the exhibition.
True witnesses of the political history of their time, they report to
us the imperial visits in the provinces as the essential ceremonies of
the solar calendar or Mandchous huntings and Mongols. Illustrated
polychrome paintings with the colors extremely fresh, these scrolls
could correspond to our medieval illuminations. The least details are
scrupulously reported there, the landscapes are perfectly realistic. An
unequaled panorama of legendary China.
