33. Musée Nissim de Camondo

Although it has an entirely forgettable name, this museum is one of the best you could hope to visit.  

The Musée Nissim de Camondo is an elegant house museum of French decorative arts located in the Hôtel Camondo, 63 rue de Monceau, at the edge of the Parc Monceau in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.  

The mansion itself is in the traditional French shape, built along all four sides, like the letter 'O', with a large central courtyard.

Looking through the central gateway into the large courtyard.  It is only the main house across the rear of the property that is open to the public.

From the moment you walk up to the front door you know this is a special place.

The mansion was built in 1911 by the Count Moise de Camondo, a banker, to set off his collection of 18thC French furniture and objets d'art.  Its design was patterned upon the Petit Trianon at Versailles, though with modern conveniences.  Both the house and the collections were bequeathed to Les Arts Décoratifs in honor of his son, Nissim de Camondo, killed in WW1.  It was opened as a museum in 1935.

Today the house is maintained as if it was still a private home, preserved in its original condition.  Three floors are open to visitors, the formal reception rooms, the private apartments and the kitchens.

A large tapestry on the upper wall of the staircase.

The grand salon.

The house's furnishings include needlepoint chairs and works by the artisans of the Royal Furniture Repository.  Floors are furnished with Savonnerie carpets woven in 1678 for the Grande Gallerie in the Louvre.

Bankers are rich.  But even for a banker, this Count was seriously rich.

The second salon.  The building is just over 100 years old but the 18thC furnishings and works of art are 250 years old. 

A lovely detail.

The dining room.  

The Orloff silver in the dining room was commissioned by Catherine II if Russia in 1770 and the porcelain dinner services are Buffon, made at Sèvres in the 1780s.

Another little detail.

The marble sideboard in the dining room. The Count purchased this sideboard from a grand mansion being demolished, and had a wall in his new dining room built exactly the correct size to accommodate it.

Another view of this glorious, light filled room.

The butler's pantry, just off the dining room.

The family sitting room.

The reception or entertaining areas of the house are magnificent.

The circular library.

Most windows look south towards the sun, and onto a garden which blends into the Parc Monceau beyond.

The Count's bathroom, 1911 style.

The public toilet I used downstairs was just like this one, but all white.

And into the kitchens.  This is a huge rotisserie, obviously for huge roasts of meat.

Three ovens on each side of this magnificent structure.  Originally wood or coal fired but converted to gas in the 1930s.

The scullery for washing dishes is beyond.  Very grateful that Louise, Jen, Annalea and I don't have to scrub and polish copper like this at the Ministry of Food.

The huge sink has gas heating underneath so you could get through the whole wash-up without your water getting cold.  Brilliant!

These sinks in the main kitchen are for the preparation of vegetables etc.

I think the reason the mansion is so impressive is because it is so integrated and complete.  Count de Camondo built the house around his treasures and it remains today, just the way he lived in it.