Musée du quai Branly

Remember when I said L’Orangerie was my favourite museum in Paris? Well, I may have spoken too hastily.
I probably should have waited and done a few more museums before declaring a favourite. Or better still, why choose.
I fell utterly in love with d’Orsay, but decided it was too easy to love, with its ornate Beaux-Arts architecture, grand collections and its unique location in a converted historic train station.
Then I couldn’t decide between Petit Palais and Palais de Tokyo this year; just so many and I haven’t even scratched the surface.

But Quai Branly is something else. Located in the shadow of the Eiffel tower, this museum dedicated to collections of indigenous art, cultures and civilizations from the non-western world (Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas) still has my heart.
The museum feels cozy, with each piece telling remarkable stories of traditional cultures past and present. It really is exceptional.
The location is outstanding too; the architecture is contemporary, surrounded in lush greenery with winding garden paths, tall glass walls and views of the Eiffel tower, with the Seine close by.

I didn’t get to visit Quai Branly on this trip, but next year I’m looking forward to PhotoQuai and the ‘Nigeria, Arts of the Benue Valley’ exhibition