As a promoter of crafts and creation since the 17th century, Mobilier national’s mission is to ensure the preservation and restoration of its unique collections, to perpetuate and pass down exceptional craftsmanship. As a major heritage site, the institution is also an important contribution to contemporary creation and the promotion of French decorative arts.
Mobilier national owns a collection of tens of thousands of furniture pieces and objects meant to furnish and decorate the official buildings of the Republic in France and abroad. More than three hundred and forty women and men work daily to maintain, practice, and promote the institution's excellent know-how, in Paris and throughout France. The Gobelins and Beauvais manufactories are dedicated to tapestry, the Savonnerie manufactory to rugs, and the Puy-en-Velay and Alençon workshops to lace. The Research and Creation workshop (Atelier de Recherche et de Création - ARCs) promotes creations and contemporary designs in France. Seven restoration workshops are in charge of various specialties of wood, metal, and textile.
Definitely forward-looking, Mobilier national is one of the founding members of the Campus d'Excellence des Métiers d'Art et du Design - Paris, Gobelins manufactory, launched in 2020. Through its role, Mobilier national bears witness to the vitality of artistic creation and contemporary design. It is a public administrative institution under the Ministry of Culture.
Hervé Lemoine, President of Mobilier national leads the institution since 2018, championing French crafts and know-how, decorative arts, and traditional savoir-faire. Hervé Lemoine participated in the presidential delegation to Asia in April, 2023, fostering numerous partnerships in China. He welcomed Hao Zhenhan, a Chinese artist, at the French national manufactories of Gobelins and Sèvres in May and June 2024 for artist residence. In April 2024, he oversaw the opening of the " Napoleon’s Lost Palaces" exhibition in Beijing. These initiatives took part in the robust cultural exchanges and collaborations, reinforcing the bond between French and Chinese arts and heritage. Our new exhibition “Le Chic!”, opening soon in Beijing, underscores Mobilier national's commitment to promoting French decorative arts on a global stage and preserving the rich legacy of craftsmanship.