Culture: Amida Buddha watches over destiny of newly renovated Cernuschi Museum

Rescued from a fire in a Japanese temple, the colossal, 4.40m-high, dark bronze statue of Amida Buddha, loftily perched on a lotus-shaped pedestal facing a large glass window, again watches over the destiny of the Cernuschi Museum. This superb facility, which recently re-opened after a three-and-a-half year overhaul, has been completely renovated and boasts an expanded collection. France’s second largest museum of Asian art is a treasure trove nestled in a quiet alley bordering the Parc Monceau. One of the most understated museums in Paris, and of its most impressive, the Cernuschi Museum contains some 12,400 pieces (900 of which are on permanent display) and houses Europe’s fifth largest collection of Chinese art.

The museum owes its existence to the enthusiasm of Italian patriot and republican Henri Cernuschi (1821-1896), one of the three “heroes” who freed Milan from the Austrian occupation in 1848. He held a seat on the National Assembly of the short-lived Roman Republic from 1848 to 1849 before seeking refuge in France in 1850. His skills as a financial advisor brought him considerable wealth and he became a French citizen following the proclamation of the Third Republic in Paris in 1870. Deeply shocked by the dramatic events of the 1871 Commune, Cernuschi set out on a trip around the world with an art critic friend, travelling through Asia from September 1871 to January 1873. During his stay in Japan and China, he acquired some 4,000 works of art, including an exceptional set of archaic Chinese bronzes (dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D.) that constitute the core of his collection, displayed during an exhibition on Orientalism in Paris. He also purchased the renowned 18th century Amida Buddha, left outside in the open air after the temple sheltering it caught fire in Tokyo’s Meguro neighbourhood. The giant statue had to be cut into several pieces and was transported back in sections to Paris, but has recovered much of its original splendour following its recent restoration.

To showcase these treasures, Cernuschi built an elegant private residence with a large room specifically designed for the Amida and gave sumptuous balls for the elite of his era. Prior to his death in 1896, he bequeathed the building and his precious collection to the city of Paris, which turned it a public museum as of 1898. The recent renovation work has revealed a lovely frieze painted in the recess of the ceiling above the grand staircase, as well as hitherto hidden medallions sporting the motto of the master of the house: “libertas et virtus” (freedom and courage).

Yet the Cernuschi Museum is most famous for its premier collections of Chinese art, chronologically displayed from the Neolithic Period to the 13th century. The collections provide a complete panorama of the various Chinese eras and dynasties and also feature world-renowned archaic bronzes. Visitors can admire pieces dating back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.), such as an exceptional collection of tomb figures, or mingqi, as well as tomb figures extending through the Northern Wei dynasty (386 to 354 B.C.) and the Sui dynasty (821 to 618 B.C.), pottery from the Tang and the Song dynasties, and even a rare collection of gilded bronze pieces dating from the Liao dynasty (907 to 1125). The museum has several star attractions - including the masterpiece curator Gilles Beguin has affectionately dubbed his “Mona Lisa” but is actually known as “The Tigress”: an extraordinary dark green, nearly black, bronze 11th-century B.C. you wine vessel in the shape of an open-jawed feline clutching a small human figure to its stomach. This masterpiece is regarded as the most outstanding Chinese vessel on display in Europe. Another bronze, the enormous Jian basin, is the largest of its kind outside China. The fascinating vases on display in various showcases seem to vie for attention, rivalling with each other in the opulence and subtlety of their decorations.

More discrete (and more “youthful”), the eight charming female musicians on horseback in polychrome terracotta, each smiling and playing a different instrument, are remarkable examples of the funerary art of the Tang dynasty (8th century). An extremely handsome funerary statue can also be viewed: a tall military officer from the Northern Wei dynasty (beg. 6th century), a gift to the museum from a collector couple. A notable recent acquisition is a pair of male and female funerary masks in gilded bronze dating from the first quarter of the 12th (Liao dynasty). The museum’s collections have expanded considerably over the past 12 years, via purchases, gifts and patronage operations especially.

An unprecedented campaign was undertaken to restore the paintings and Chinese calligraphy, removed from public viewing in the mid-1990s. These artefacts are now displayed seasonally, their original freshness regained. The museum also has an impressive collection of Japanese art that comprises over 3,500 pieces - including 1,500 bronzes, 1,600 ceramics and several paintings.

The renovation of this delightful museum and the reorganization of its collections, to the tune of 7.2 million euros, was crowned by the construction of a graphics arts centre and a 45-person conference room, both offering complete accessibility for disabled visitors. As with all of the museums owned by the city of Paris, there is no entry fee to visit the permanent collections and only the temporary exhibits require an admission charge. The first of these temporary exhibits, which opened in September, showcases breathtaking celadon ceramics dating from China of the 11th century B.C. to the 14th century A.D.

Claudine Canetti

Museum information available on the website Internet of the City of Paris: www.paris.org

Last updated: 21.11.2005