Musée des Arts Décoratifs;
Musée des Arts de la Mode et du Textile

Practical Information

The Musée des Arts de la Mode et du Textile houses a collection of roughly 30,000 costumes from the 18th century to the present. It is currently undergoing renovation; reopening is projected for September 1996.

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs; was established in 1905 by the Union des Arts Decoratifs. At one time, the museum was state owned but today although the museum is open to the public, it is however private because of the integrity and autonomy of its administration.

At first, the decorative arts were on the fringe of the fine arts. It is today a more accepted art form due in part to the wealth of the collection of decorative arts. That collection is largely made up of restorations of decorative art from different periods an Asian section, a Gothic section, Contemporary, and all sections imaginable between those previously listed. There are today even more sections of decorative arts, due to the reinstallation during 1945 to 1949.

Text by Matthew Moynihan - Pomona College; USA