Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet

In the mid-19th century, French industrialist Émile Guimet sought to create a museum filled with items of value that he acquired on his travels, which included religious and classical antiquities from Egypt and various Asian countries. The Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet (MNAAG) was established in Lyon, France in 1879. Over the course of Guimet's lifetime, the museum relocated from Lyon to Paris and gradually began to shift focus to primarily collect, exhibit, and study art from Asian countries. Many decades later, MNAAG is now globally recognized as one of the world's leading knowledge centers of Asian civilizations and art. In addition to collecting and exhibiting art for public viewership, MNAAG is committed to ensuring that audiences leave the museum with an understanding of the relationships, differences, and complexities between the various artistic traditions of Asian countries throughout history, as well as their cultural contexts. Further, MNAAG engages in art conservation work, as well as public education efforts and community activities.