Dates

Sat., December 13, 2025 – Sun., May 31, 2026

Venue

Exhibition room 4

Beauty implements have long been essential companions in women’s daily lives, sustaining their beauty rituals and sense of style. This exhibition focuses on Western objects from the 19th and 20th centuries, tracing the evolution of their design and function. These items reflect the social conditions and technological progress of their time, revealing changes in women’s lifestyles and forms of self-expression.

The exhibition is centered on cosmetic sets that embody the style of each era, along with powder boxes, perfume bottles, mirrors, brushes, and manicure sets, all combining decoration with function. Visitors can appreciate the aesthetic sensibilities of each period, from the elegant and ornate Art Nouveau sets popular during the Belle Époque of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to the streamlined Art Deco compacts and portable sets that appeared in the early 20th century. As railways and automobiles became more widespread, leisure travel and weekend outings became part of everyday life. The exhibition also examines how these social changes influenced beauty standards and practices.

The exhibition also features paintings of women by Pierre Auguste Renoir and Fernand Léger, artists active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. We hope this exhibition offers visitors a deeper sense of the places and times in which these objects were created, and of the sensibilities and daily lives of the people who once used them.