Talk: wearing nature, the Musée des Arts décoratifs inrō collection

Let me invite you to Saint-Quentin, 28 rue Antoine Lécuyer, on Friday 6 November 2026 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm, for a talk entitled "L'art de porter la nature", the art of wearing nature. It introduces the decorative arts museum's collection of inrō.

Inrō are Japanese lacquer miniatures with remarkably fine decoration. Samurai wore them during the Edo period, between 1603 and 1868, and these precious objects were as much an art form as a social marker. From these small masterpieces of precision, the talk moves on to the brilliance of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, in which nature also finds elegant expression. That porcelain is on show this year at the Musée des Beaux-Arts Antoine Lécuyer.

The talk is given by Emma Marcheux, who is in charge of cultural outreach at the heritage department, the Direction du Patrimoine. I am fond of these early-evening talks, which let you discover a collection with someone who knows it well.

Entry is free and there is no need to book. For any question, the contact number given is +33 3 23 06 93 98.