Guimet research plan 2026 2030

Collections

The library ' s collections , at the heart of the scientif ic project of the museum ' s

founder , Émile Guimet , who saw it as " the brain of the museum " , reflect

the evolution of the museum ' s raison d ' être , initially devoted to the comparative

history of religions and becoming , since the 1920s , an institution devoted to the

arts and civilizations of ancient Asia . This orientation has structured a dynamic

documentary policy , enriched over time by purchases , donations and exchanges .

Gradually specialising in Asian art , the museum and library collections have

followed the interests of the curatorial directors , in line with the diversif ication and

professionalisation of research on Asian art and archaeology .

Today , these resources – more than 100 , 000 books and 2 , 500 titles of living or

closed periodicals – bear witness to these developments and cover a vast

disciplinary f ield centred on Asian art and archaeology , from High Antiquity in India

and China to the edge of the contemporary world

The archives on the other hand shed light on the provenance of the works their

journey and the people who acquired sold collected or passed on to the museum

in one way or another The photographic collections offer a complement to

the history whether it is a question of views of exhibitions the dif ferent states of

a work before or after restoration or pedestal etc or the archaeological context

The documentation is also a source of valuable information on the life of the works

from restorations to loans for exhibition

Juliette Séjourné , researcher and artist in residence for research and creation at the Villa Guimet , in the documentation center

( 2025 ) . © musée Guimet , Paris .

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