The Paris Traveler

Boutiques de Musees

by Kim on March 26th, 2008

The museums of Paris have what I would consider some of the best shopping around.  Their gift shops are filled with amazing goodies–reproduction jewelry from their collections, scarves, books dedicated to specific exhibits and even the tried and true Mona Lisa mouse pad.  Even their cheesy attempts at consumerism come out looking not so bad! For a price, (the exchange sucks!) you too can get a hold of some of these fun things right from the comfort of your living room.  Boutiques de Musees is a site that has gathered the best from all the individual gift shops and put them in one place for those individuals who can’t actually shop there.  One of my favorites is this very fashionable bay leaf cuff bracelet circa Napoleon’s time.  It is inspired by the gold leaf laurel crown he wore at his coronation in 1804–a mere 200 years later and it still looks fresh!  Or how about a beautiful wedding cup that has been engraved with a fabulous, intricate heart pattern. I think this would make a really unique and memorable gift for someone getting married. This one, displayed  at the Louvre is based on a cup found in Lille.  The tradition of giving “fidelity cups”  dates back to the 3rd century, fell into decline during the Middle Ages and brought back to life in the 12th century.   My personal weakness are the books that recreate exhibits from the various museums. They are the most beautiful and lasting memories from a trip and make wonderful gifts for the consummate art lover. I have purchased several over the years and keep going back to them like I would to personal photos that I took on a journey.  The great thing about these books,  if you are unable to get to Paris for an exhibit, you can still “see” it.   Have fun shopping!

Photos:  Copyright © 2000-2008 Réunion des musées nationaux. Tous droits réservés 

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