The musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac is a national public administrative institution that preserves collections representative of the arts and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, which belong to the French Republic and are placed under its responsibility.
In accordance with Decree no. 2004-1350 of 9 December 2004, its mission is to promote and disseminate knowledge regarding these arts and the societies and civilizations that produced them or that are their heirs, and to participate in national and international efforts to preserve the tangible and intangible heritage of these societies. As such, it promotes access by the communities of origin to the collections of cultural property it preserves.
Access to the collections is granted to any person who requests it, in accordance with the procedure described below, after instruction by the museum, in compliance with the institution's missions, the state of conservation of the collections and the rules of access to public services.
Access to the collections in the context of such a consultation request is free of charge.
Principles specific to the consultations of collections by their communities of origin
The musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac recognises the existence of a specific link between the collections under its care and the communities of origin of these collections.
Community of origin consultations are a priority for access to the collections and are given special attention. For them to take place as well as possible and meet any specific requests, they must be prepared in advance with the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac's teams.
It is recalled that, as a French public institution, the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac is required to respect the principles of secularism and equality. As a result, and in accordance with the French Charter of Secularism in Public Services, available at the following URL: charte_de_la_laicite-.pdf (gouvernement.fr) :
"users of public services have the right to express their religious convictions within the limits of respect for the neutrality of the public service, its proper functioning and the imperatives of public order, safety, health and hygiene. [...] Users "may not challenge a public official or other users, nor demand a modification in the operation of the public service on the basis of religious considerations".
Ceremonies or rituals may be held on an exceptional basis within the museum premises, in strict compliance with the principles of respect for the neutrality of the public service and its proper functioning, respect for equality without gender, race or religion discrimination and respect for the safety of goods and persons.
Procedure for requesting a collection consultation
Before requesting a visit, it is advisable to consult the collections database (https://collections.quaibranly.fr/) to clarify the purpose of your request.
To ensure that access to the collections is granted in the best possible conditions, it is also suggested to contact the museum's conservation team and state the request as early and precisely as possible.
The request must include the following information:
1. The purpose of the visit and the expectations.
2. The exact list of objects with their inventory numbers (this number is displayed on the collections database and is unique to each object).
a. There is no set number of objects for consultations. The quantity can vary according to several criteria (format, typology).
b. Some objects may not be available for consultation due to their state of preservation (e.g. objects that are too fragile or undergoing restoration) or their location (e.g. objects displayed in the museum's display cases or on loan to other institutions).
3. A list specifying the identity and position of the persons who will be present during the consultation.
4. The planned dates and duration.
5. Depending on the nature of the research, a request for access to the museum's archives, photographic collections or library (located in the same building) may also be helpful. Information is available at https://www.quaibranly.fr/en/scientific-research/catalog/library-and-documentary-collection/catalogs
Consultation requests must be emailed to museotheque(at)quaibranly.fr at least two months before the desired consultation date. An answer will be sent by email as soon as possible, after examination of the consultation file.
https://www.quaibranly.fr/fr/professionnels/consultation-des-collections-en-museotheque/
If the request is accepted, the objects can be consulted in a dedicated space within the museum. As this space is limited and the number of requests is high, the museum will do its best to organise the consultation within the desired time frame. However, the process of organising consultations can take several weeks. Once fixed, it will be difficult to change the date of the consultation.
Consultations take place from Tuesday to Thursday, from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 1.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Conduct of the consultation
Once the request has been approved and scheduled, the objects are made available in a consultation room, in the presence of the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac teams. The consultation takes place under the following conditions:
- 1. Objects can be photographed for personal use only. Any other use (publication, online post, reporting, etc.) must be subject to prior written permission from the museum.
- 2. Computers, tablets, cameras, notebooks and pencils are allowed. A locker is provided for personal belongings.
- 3. Any other object requires the prior agreement of the musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac teams.
- 4. The consultation areas are not suitable for the use of fire or smoke which could compromise the safety of the building and the collections. The introduction of liquids or organic matter into these areas is prohibited in particular to avoid any accidents or the introduction of pathogenic agents that could hinder the conservation of the works.
- 5. Group consultations are limited to 12 people. The museum reserves the right to limit access to a smaller number of people.
- 6. The museum staff is present throughout the consultation.
The museum staff present during the consultation ensures the handling necessary for the correct conservation of the works.
Requests should be sent to the following address: museotheque(at)quaibranly.fr
