Ancient objects and rituals from the world's great cultures

Objects of art and artefacts from the great ancient civilisations, religious cults, tribal traditions and Asian or Oriental cultures, covering a wide geographical and chronological range. The selection includes Greco-Roman ceramics, Egyptian statues, antique jewellery and Mesopotamian objects, often found during archaeological digs and bearing witness to the techniques of Antiquity. Alongside them are objects of sacred art: crucifixes, Byzantine icons, liturgical candlesticks, illuminated manuscripts, and religious works inspired by Christian and Orthodox spiritual themes. The primitive arts are also represented by African masks, Dogon statuettes, fetishes from Oceania, ritual textiles from South-East Asia and pre-Columbian objects rooted in ancestral and often ceremonial practices. The category also includes Asian art: Ming Chinese porcelain, Japanese prints, Buddhist bronzes, decorative lacquerware, embroidered textiles, and contemporary works inspired by traditional Asian iconography and styles. Finally, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures are represented by ancient mosaics, Islamic ceramics, Persian carpets, Arabic calligraphy, Ottoman weapons and Bedouin jewellery. It's an invitation to explore the history of different peoples through their objects of use, spiritual symbols and artistic expressions, marked by the diversity of their craft skills and cultural heritages.