Musée Guimet - Guimet research plan 2026-2030

Guimet research plan 2026 2030 9

Part 1 → The structuring axes of research at the Villa Guimet

Axis 1

Materiality

The first axis of research defined by the museum ' s curator team focuses on

the pieces ’ materiality . This analysis of the material , from its constitutive nature

to its sources of supply and its implementation , is , in itself , a fundamental aspect

of the study and understanding of the museum ' s collections , as well as for all

the institutional and private collections conserved throughout the world .

Among its areas of excellence , the Musée Guimet has been able to forge an

international reputation for their skills on the study of ceramics . From the very

beginning of the institution , Émile Guimet himself was interested in these specif ic

questions . Familiarised with the chemistry of materials through his work as

an industrial entrepreneur and head of the " Bleu Guimet " factories , the founder of

the museum had , from his trip to Asia in 1876 , made sure to gather a large collection

of ceramics from Japan and China . His choices were less based on aesthetic criteria

than on technical considerations linked to his interest in the use of colours in the

f iring process of terracotta , stoneware and porcelain . In the galleries on the ground

f loor of his " museum of religions " , there were two spaces , one devoted to China and

the other to Japan , in which the collections were brought together according

to technical criteria and , and , for Japan , according to contemporary potters ’ kilns .

The work of Daisy Lion - Goldschmidt and Madeleine Paul - David in the analysis and

characterization of Chinese and Japanese ceramics , their constituent materials

and the vocabulary related to their nature and their technical implementation – work

relayed by Christine Shimizu for Japan ( ceramics and lacquerware ) – has since been

milestones to which current research is still heir The most recent technologies

used by specialized laboratories f irst and foremost by the Centre for Research and

Restoration of the Museums of France C2RMF also allow for much more precise

and detailed analyses than in the past They will obviously offer prospects for

interesting investigations

Study of stucco and unfired clay

from Afghanistan , of the 3rd – 8th

centuries of our era discovered

in an archaeological context

The choice to study the materiality of the works was , f irst

and foremost , focused on the Afghan collection

of stucco and various unfired clays , dating from the

3rd century to the 8th century AD . Resulting from

excavations carried out by the French Archaeological

Delegation in Afghanistan ( DAFA ) in the 1920s and 1930s ,

these sculptures benefit from a perfectly identified

archaeological provenance thanks to the framework

of the Franco - Afghan Convention of 1922 , set for the

disclosure of discoveries between the two states . Their

authenticity is indisputable .

Although the term " stucco " is generally used in scientif ic

literature about the modelling of the Hadda site , it is clear

that the exact composition is unknown . Similarly , the use

of green clay , stated in some of Hadda ' s works , is not

chronologically dated . In contrast , in Bamiyan and

Futekstan , unf ired clay modeling was the norm , with the

use of red clay overshadowing beige clay in the late 7th

century .

Therefore , knowing the composition of the " stuccoes "

and unf ired clays of the Musée Guimet ' s collection should

allow us to , on one hand , specify the timeline of

occupation of the various Buddhist monasteries of

Hadda , and , on the other hand , to compare these models

with those of other sites such as Tepe Sardar in Ghazni ,

Tepe Narenj in Kabul , or works without any verified

archaeological origin . As for the unf ired clays of Bamiyan and Futekistan , the same

shift in the colour of clay , from beige to red , is found in Ghazni and the Kabul region .

Alike analyses are currently being carried out in various foreign museums .

Comparative studies with the stuccoes of the ancient Gandhara region , from

Peshawar to Taxila in present - day Pakistan , could also be taken into consideration .

In addition , beyond the ref ined knowledge of the materials , these studies ought

to allow for the identification of production and circulation routes , craftsmen

travelling to embellish the chapels and stupas of Buddhist monasteries in eastern

Afghanistan . The results of these analyses will be the subject of scientific

publications and conferences , such as the one co - organised , in Naples on the 16

and 17 September 2025 , by the Universita degli studi l ' Orientale in Naples , the

Universita degli studi La Sapienza in Rome , and the Universita degli studi in Bologna .

Fakes and Forgery

in Chinese Antiquities

Unlike the Afghan collection which is proven to be authentic some artwork

corpuses require an in depth study of their materiality in order to distinguish fakes

from authentic pieces This is especially true in the f ield of Chinese antiquities and

in particular bronze dishes found in funerary settings These objects have fascinated

Western collectors and museum like institutions since the 19th century while they

have been appreciated in China itself since antiquity This success has led to a

massive proliferation of counterfeits often of remarkable quality

The Flower Genie , Tapa Kalan , Hadda ( Afghanistan ) , 3rd – 4th century , stucco ,