Anne de Beaujeu Museum and Mantin House – MAB

Doctor Guillaume-Joseph Bailleau (1830-1909), scholar and lover of archeology, is one of the pioneers of archeology and in particular of prehistoric archeology.
It contributes to the development of knowledge on the first men occupying the Bourbonnais.
He is in particular at the origin of the research carried out on the site of the Grotte des Fées in Châtelperron, the remains of which testify to the period of transition between the Neanderthal occupation and that of modern man.
Avid collector, Doctor Bailleau collects objects discovered in the Allier, but also on the greatest archaeological sites of the moment (Valley of the Dordogne, Solutré…).
His collection is dispersed after his death between different museums outside France. However, the Department was able to acquire in 2016 part of this collection which remained within the Bishopric of Moulins.
The Anne-de-Beaujeu museum is putting on a monographic exhibition devoted to this little-known figure in prehistoric archaeology. It highlights Châtelperron, a major site of national archeology, and completes the old data with the very latest information from the field, thanks to the resumption of excavations in 2019. A rich cultural program accompanies this exhibition (conferences, guided tours, demonstrations of prehistoric techniques, film, artistic practice workshops, etc.).

Thanks to the support of the Regional Museum Acquisition Fund (Ministry of Culture, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region), as well as the generosity of donors, the Anne-de-Beaujeu departmental museum was able to acquire a set of works outstanding in recent years. Since its origins, the museum has been increasing its collections along a few strong lines: local archaeology, decorative arts from Moulins, as well as French academic art from 1850 to 1900. Examples of these themes and from all periods are exhibited in this new attachment.
Since 2019, a research team has been conducting archaeological excavations in the south of the Allier department, along the Sioule gorges. This work led to the discovery of a large fortified settlement from the end of the Bronze Age (around 800 BC). It is the habitat of this period which yields the largest number of metal objects in France, and it is one of the richest in Europe. A first deposit of objects unearthed in 2017 was acquired by the Anne-de-Beaujeu museum. Some pieces are presented here for the first time.
The museum’s collection of faience from Moulins has been considerably enriched in recent years, with the acquisition in 2020 and 2021 of three plates and two baskets called “bannettes” made by faience makers from Moulins around 1760 – 1770.
Reference collection of the painter Marcellin Desboutin (1823-1902), born in Cérilly (Allier), the Anne-de-Beaujeu museum acquired in 2020 a rare drawing by the artist representing the famous Edgar Degas, whose Desboutin was a close friend.
Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse (1859-1938), son-in-law of the Moulinois poet Théodore de Banville (1823-1891), whose sculpted mask was acquired by the museum in 2020, is also represented with Le bal des ardents, a major work preempted by the museum in 2017.
Finally, a few surprises, such as a Kanak monstrance ax or a mysterious object, can reappear from the museum’s reserves during refurbishments and find the light of an exhibition room.