Toy Box / Le coffre à jouer

To celebrate the toy department’s 40^th anniversary, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs showed Toy Box / Le coffre à jouer from 9 April to 30 August 2015. This exhibition is a unique opportunity to see the museum’s toys like never before, dating back to the 18^th century. Visitors can discover a selection of more than 300 emblematic traditional and modern toys, ranging from unique, priceless creations to handmade artefacts including cult objects from France and elsewhere. Each piece is representative of the History of toys and has its own history, techniques used in its making, and significance. Some of the pieces emerged from storerooms to be shown for the first time. The exhibition ends with a display of artists’ and designers’ toys stemming from the pedagogical and formal research characteristics of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. They include a yoyo by Sonia Delaunay, a pull-along dog by Keith Haring, a jigsaw puzzle by Antonio Vitali and soft toys by Takashi Murakami. The show is curated by Anne Monier, Curator of the toys department.