Musée Cernuschi

The Musée Cernuschi wears a facade of smooth, grey stone, punctuated by tall windows and a discreet, arched entrance on the quiet Avenue Velasquez. Henri Cernuschi, an Italian economist and collector, built this private mansion in eighteen seventy-three to house the thousands of Asian artifacts he gathered during an arduous eighteen-month journey across China and Japan. He lived among his bronze statues and paintings until his death, leaving the entire house and its contents to the city of Paris to share with the public.