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Origin and history

The Ennery Museum is a national museum annexed to the Guimet Museum, located at 59 avenue Foch in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It presents a collection of 7,000 Asian art objects, gathered in the second half of the 19th century by Clémence d'Ennery (1823-1898), wife of the playwright Adolphe d'Ennery. The collection, begun in 1859 by Josephine-Clémence Lecarpentier, was transferred to a mansion built in 1875 by architect Pierre-Joseph Olive and expanded before 1894 by architect Lemaire.

Clémence d'Ennery, passionate about Asia, formed this collection in a private hotel she shared with her second husband. As early as 1892, the couple planned to bequeath the collection and the hotel to the State, provided that the works remained on site. Despite testamentary challenges, the legacy was validated in 1901, and the museum was inaugurated on 27 May 1908. Sinologist Paul Pelliot was chief curator from 1930 to 1945, followed by George Cœdès until 1969.

The museum, which has been listed as a historical monument since 1979, preserves Chinese and Japanese objects, including lacquered chests, Kakiemon porcelains, netukes and masks. The windows, designed by Gabriel Viardot, reflect the orientalist taste of the Second Empire. After closures for restoration, the museum reopened in 2012 and 2023, but only part of the spaces are accessible to the public.

The Ennery Museum bears witness to the fascination for the East that marked Western art in the 19th century. Its architecture combines neo-classical and baroque styles, with interior decorations designed to showcase collections. Between 1953 and 1996, its ground floor also housed the Armenian Museum of France, illustrating the cultural diversity of the place.

Today, the museum depends on the Guimet museum and requires a reservation to be visited. Although it requires 15 million euros for a complete restoration, there remains a unique example of museum-conservatory, preserving both the works and their original surroundings. Its inscription in historical monuments covers the entire building, including the Viardot windows.

Collection

Parmi les 7 000 objets conservés au musée, essentiellement d'origine chinoise ou japonaise, on trouve un rare ensemble de coffres et cabinets en bois laqué de style Namban, des années 1580-1590, des porcelaines à décor émaillé de style Kakiemon dont des poupées,...

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