1725. Des alliés amérindiens à la cour de Louis XV
The exhibition plunges visitors into the little-known world of the indigenous societies of the Mississippi Valley, which at the turn of the 18th century, just as the French were establishing themselves in the vast region they called “Louisiana”.
The exhibition plunges visitors into the little-known world of the aboriginal societies of the Mississippi Valley, at the turn of the 18th century, just as the French were establishing themselves in the vast region they called “Louisiana”. The French had to adapt to Amerindian norms of diplomacy, and the French presence in the region was gradually based on economic, military and political alliances with several native nations.
One of the most emblematic and spectacular moments in this alliance was the arrival in France of Oto, Osage, Missouri and Illinois chiefs, in the autumn of 1725, at the joint request of the Compagnie des Indes and the young Louis XV. This episode, described in detail in the Mercure de France, will be recounted in the exhibition.
Exceptional works will be presented, including maps of Louisiana produced in Paris and America in the 18th century, some of which have never been exhibited. Artefacts produced by these Amerindian nations in the 18th century and now preserved at the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac will also be on display. Absolutely unique, these are the oldest pieces of Mississippi Valley art in the world. Today, the testimony of this visit is a masterpiece of French music, Rameau's Indes galantes. From the banks of the Mississippi to the court, the exhibition retraces this extraordinary human adventure, which was not only a journey between two continents, but above all, a voyage between two worlds that understood each other.
Produced in partnership with the Musée du Quai Branly -Jacques Chirac and in collaboration with the following nations: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Quapaw Nation, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma.
General information
Openings
From 25/11/2025 to 03/05/2026 between 9 am and 6.30 pm.
Closed on Monday.
Fares
Full price: 21 €, Reduced price: 13 €.
Free entry for children under 18, press, Job-seeker, teachers, the students, Students under 26, tour guides holding a professional card, people with reduced mobility, disabled people, disabled people and accompanying persons.