Just re-opened. Woven tapestries and giant vases juxtaposed with designer furniture and rugs. Odd, but beautiful, in a newly-renovated building.

After being shut for thirty-five years, and following thirteen years of renovation, the Manufacture des Gobelins has just reopened, showing contemporary woven carpets, fabrics and furniture downstairs, and ancient tapestries, giant vases and gilded candelabras upstairs.

Although quite small compared to some of Paris’ other museums, the sheer size and opulence of some of the exhibits make them well worth seeing. The detail is incredible, and imagining the hours spent over each piece is mindblowing.

One giant tapestry, the Royale Tapsestry of Artémise, is actually made up of fifteen tapestries, half of which have been bough back by the state after having being sold off during the ages. Getting them back to be shown together again has cost 1,825,000,000 euros (around $2,460 million)!

The Manufacture des Gobelins is also a school, now 400 years old, and stills trains people to make and restore carpets and tapestries, making sure this great French tradition doesn’t die out.

Some more information about the Manufacture des Gobelins here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobelins_manufactory

Manufacture des Gobelins
42 avenue des Gobelins
75013 Paris
Tel : 01.44.08.52.00
Métro : Gobelins

Crédit photos : JasonW