I steal away for a few hours of solitude and head away from the decadence of Pigalle toward the exotic wonders of
Musée Guimet. Here I find the largest collection of Asian art outside of Asia. The exhibitions, spread over four floors, are divided by country: India and southeast Asia are located on the ground floor; ancient China, central Asia and Buddhist China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Himalayas are on the first floor; classic China and Japan are on two; Quing China occupies the top floors. The collection encompasses nearly 5,000 years.
I wander, admiring but not exactly comprehending what I'm looking at. I find some comfort in my museum guide and map, which says,
"While it is possible to feel acquaintances and vibrations with the works very quickly, it is nevertheless difficult to understand their historical and religious significance so fast."
Well, that makes me feel a little better about myself, but I wish I had done some homework before my visit.
Tant pis, next time ...
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I didn't make a note about this, unfortunately,
but for some reason, I can relate. |
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| The Dancing Siva (India) |
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| Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Vietnam) |
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| Arhat Tamrabhadra (China) |
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| The Thousand Flowers Vase (Qing China) |
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| I don't mean to complain, but look closely ... |
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| ... could use a bit of dusting. (Sale means dirty in French) |
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| Art students sketching the Asian artwork |
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