Laboratoire du Musée du Quai Branly

Laboratoire du Musée du Quai Branly
Name	Laboratoire du Musée du Quai Branly
Established	2006
Location	Paris, France
Type	research laboratory
Director	Christophe Leray
Affiliations	Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac

Laboratoire du Musée du Quai Branly is the scientific research unit attached to the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, France, charged with the study, conservation, and documentation of non-Western collections. Founded in the context of museum reform and interdisciplinary museology, the laboratory combines conservation science, anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, and history to support exhibitions, acquisitions, and long-term preservation.

History

The laboratory was created in parallel with the inauguration of the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and emerged from collaborations among institutions such as the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, and the École du Louvre. Early development involved exchanges with the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Palais de Tokyo, and the Institut national d'histoire de l'art. Influenced by debates at the Berlin Museum für Völkerkunde and precedents set by the British Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the laboratory formalized protocols for provenance research and technical examination. Leadership and advisory contributions came from scholars affiliated with the Collège de France, the École pratique des hautes études, and the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and international partnerships included curators from the National Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City), the National Museum of Ethnology (Leiden), and the Smithsonian Institution.

Mission and Research Focus

The laboratory’s mission aligns with mandates of the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and institutional frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and UNESCO frameworks on cultural heritage. Core research themes address provenance studies influenced by methods used at the Institut national du patrimoine, material culture analysis inspired by work at the American Museum of Natural History, and ethical dimensions discussed at forums such as the ICOM (International Council of Museums) and the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. Interdisciplinary priorities include conservation science methodologies developed at the Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, comparative ethnography referencing collections at the Royal Ontario Museum, and repatriation practices in dialogue with the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Collections and Materials Analysis

The laboratory examines objects from the museum’s collections originating in regions represented by institutions like the National Museum of Africa, the National Museum of Anthropology (Spain), and the Museo del Oro. Analytical work covers organic and inorganic media—wood, textile, pigment, metal, ivory, and ceramics—using protocols similar to those developed at the Getty Conservation Institute, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and the Rijksmuseum. Case studies have involved objects with cross-references to the Benin Bronzes, artifacts comparable to holdings of the Musée du Louvre, and ethnographic objects studied alongside examples from the Völkerkundemuseum München. Provenance research draws on archival holdings at the Archives nationales (France), acquisition records comparable to those at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and field reports influenced by methodologies from the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology.

Methods and Laboratories

Technical platforms combine spectrometry, microscopy, and imaging equipment paralleling facilities at the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, and the Laboratoire d'Archéologie Moléculaire et Structurale. Techniques include X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in the tradition of the Natural History Museum (London) laboratories, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) akin to protocols at the British Library, and radiocarbon dating workflows comparable to those used by the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit. Conservation interventions reference standards from the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and analytical chains are documented in formats similar to those used by the CNRS Centre Ernest-Babelon. The laboratory also maintains imaging suites for multispectral photography inspired by practices at the Getty Villa and 3D scanning capabilities used by the Smithsonian Institution Digitization Program Office.

Collaborations and Partnerships

Institutional collaborations extend across European, African, Asian, Oceanian, and American partners including the Musée Dapper, the Institut Pasteur, the Museo Nacional de Antropología (Madrid), and the National Museum (Prague). Research programs have been co-funded or co-supervised with the Agence nationale de la recherche, the European Research Council, and bilateral projects with the African World Heritage Fund. Partnerships with indigenous and community organizations mirror engagement models promoted by the Assembly of First Nations and the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium. The laboratory has exchanged personnel and expertise with the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Australia, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for botanico-material studies and with the Musée du quai Branly collections (research collaborators)-style networks for provenance audits.

Education, Outreach, and Publications

Educational outreach includes postgraduate training collaborations with the Université Paris Nanterre, the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, and the INP (Institut national du patrimoine), and public programming co-developed with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme. Publications and technical reports are distributed in formats comparable to monographs from the Éditions du CNRS, articles in journals such as Scientific Reports, and bulletins resembling those from the Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française. Exhibition catalogs produced in the laboratory’s context follow editorial models used by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux and have informed digital resources similar to the Europeana portal. Capacity-building workshops for conservators and curators have been organized with the ICOMOS network, the African Conservation Centre, and university partners such as the University College London Institute of Archaeology.

Category:Research laboratories in France