China, Imprints of the Past: the exhibition between art and archaeology at the Cernuschi Museum - our photos

Follow in the footsteps of the scholars and archaeologist monks who roamed China, in this new exhibition from November 7, 2025 to March 15, 2026, at the Musée Cernuschi. Through their travels in the mountains and sanctuaries, they sought out ancient inscriptions engraved on stone or cast in bronze. Archaic signs and forms inspired modern works of calligraphy, painting and stamping, a veritable revolution in the 19th century.

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The scholars of the Qing dynasty, heirs to a tradition of collectors, elevated the study of ritual vases and steles to the rank of a scientific discipline. This study of metals and stones(jinshixue) concerns ancient inscriptions, particularly those found on modest remains, or less accessible ones, such as calligraphy engraved on mountainsides. To collect them, they used the technique ofinked stamping, which consists of applying damp sheets of paper to the steles.

These were then covered with a layer of ink to reveal the details of the writing and relief. Initially used to preserve texts, this method is now used to transmit the image of historiated bas-reliefs, sculptures and even ritual vases in all three dimensions. Before the advent of photography, stamping was one of the few ways ofreproducing and studying the remains of the past.

Now collector's items, these stamps inspire modern creations, as what they reveal revolutionized the literary arts, particularly painting and decorative arts, which over the years have been imbued with these motifs, which can be found throughout Chinese culture. In this exhibition, you can see exceptionally detailed ancient steles, ritual bronzes, collages, calligraphy, and unique paintings.

And what better way to put what you've learned during the exhibition into practice than by trying your hand at this stamping technique? One of the last rooms has a small, fun station where you are invited to reproduce a pattern on a sheet of paper using an ink stamp. You are then free to add a few small burgundy floral stamps to embellish your work before signing it!

A great activity that is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children, and gives you the opportunity to takehome a souvenirof the exhibition!

This exhibition will undoubtedly fascinate lovers of Asian culture, those curious about ancient history and traditions, art collectors, and enthusiasts of calligraphy and archaeology.

An impressive and ancient craft, which may not always appeal to younger visitors, as the exhibition is quite long and there are many works to look at, apart from the fun workshop on offer. Visitors looking for a spectacular or highly visual exhibition may also find the pace a little slow.