Discover Chinese stamping with the Musée des Arts Déco

Friday March 27 saw a morning devoted to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) collection of Chinese prints, as part of the exhibition "The Language of Walls. Prints from China to Notre-Dame".

The study day "Estampings: from the Chinese context to Parisian collections" gave the floor to participants in the seminar "L'objet en contexte: recherches en histoire de l'art et archéologie de l'Asie", coordinated by Lia WEI(Inalco/IFRAE). This seminar took place between September and December 2025 at Inalco, the MAD and the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), in collaboration with Michela Bussotti (Director of Studies, EFEO/UMR CCJ).

This partnership was built in several stages, from the identification of works to the drafting of exhibition content. In the run-up to the seminar, one of the professional master's student at Inalco and intern at MAD, worked to dust, describe and inventory the prints, alongside Chinese collections curator Béatrice Quette and graphic arts conservator Valentine Dubard.

The seminar participants were then able to study a selection of works and conduct research to better understand their production context and provenance. The group was also hosted at the EFEO, where exploration of the archives enabled them to compare these works with other Parisian collections.

The results of this research were integrated into the exhibition, in various forms (labels, notices, digital media). The study day was thus an opportunity for the participants to present their work, before a visit to the exhibition.

This collaboration between Inalco and MAD, focused on the study and valorization of Chinese prints, benefited from the support of the Mission Musées de l'Inalco, and the ANR Altergraphy.