French expeditions to Western China have been among the most important in contributing to descriptive geography, ethnography and archaeology of Inner Asia. The Guimet exhibits a few of the objects brought back from the Khotan region by the De Rhins expedition of the 1890s, and apart from the very extensive materials collected by Paul Pelliot at Dunhuang, displays materials he acquired in 1906-1909 at other famous Silk Road sites, especially in the Kucha region (the caves at Kizil; Kumtura). The substantial archive of Pelliot's reports and in-depth studies of his collections are still being published in a projected 15-volume work.

References (not consulted):

• Madeleine Hallade et al. Douldour-Aqour et Soubachi. Mission Paul Pelliot: Documents archéologiques, vols. 3-4. Paris: 1967-1982.
• Les arts de l'Asie centrale: la collection Paul Pelliot du Musée nationale des arts asiatiques. Ed. Jacques Giès. 2 v. Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux, 1995-1996. (Text only translated as: The Arts of Central Asia: the Pelliot Collection in the Musée Guimet. London: Serindia, 1996).
• J.-L. Dutreuil de Rhins and F. Grenard. J.-L. Dutreuil de Rhins. Mission scientifique dans la haute Asie, 1890-1895. 3 vols. Paris: E. Leroux, 1897-1898. Apart from a section on the archaeological material, which I have not checked for these web pages, the report contains a lot of interesting material on his travels, on ethnography, etc.

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	Bactrian camel. Khotan (Yotkan). 2nd-3rd c. CE. Unbaked clay. DeRhins expedition 1896. Inv. no.: MG 14771.
	Head. Khotan (Yotkan). 2nd-3rd c. CE. Unbaked clay, traces of paint. DeRhins expedition 1896. Inv. no.: MG 14478.
	Three figurines of monkeys (?). Khotan (Yotkan). 2nd-3rd c. CE. Unbaked clay. DeRhins expedition 1896. Inv. nos.: MG14797-14799.
	Fragments of Parinirvana scene (two from a larger number on display). Kucha, Kizil. 1st half 7th c. Wall painting. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. nos.: MG 17808, 17809, 23743.
	Fragment from scene of the Pure Land of the Buddha. Kucha, Duldur aqur, NE sanctuary. T'ang period, 1st half 8th c. Wall painting. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. nos.: EO 112313, DE EO 3667 (?).
	Fragments of preaching Buddha scene. Kucha, Duldur aqur, NE sanctuary. Beg. of 6th c. CE. Wall painting. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909.
	Head of a bodhisattva or devata crowned with laurel. Kucha, Duldur aqur. Beg. of 6th c. CE. Wall painting. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: MG 23796
	Bodhisattva or devata. Kucha, Duldur-aqur, base of central stupa. 6th-7th c. CE. Embossed and engraved copper. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: EO 1330.
	Seated buddha. Kucha, Duldur-aqur. Late 6th-beg. of 7th c. CE. Wood with traces of polychrome. 26 x 11 x 5 cm. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: EO 1107. Jarrige et al., pp. 30-31; website.
	Seated Buddha, fragment of halo. Kucha, Duldur-Aqur (?). Inv. no.: MG 23747.
	Worshipper. Kucha, Kumtura. 7th-8th c. CE. Unbaked clay with polychrome. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: MG 23759.
	Bodhisattva. Kucha, Kumtura. 7th-8th c. CE. Unbaked clay. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: MG 23760.
	Funeral urn. Kucha, Subashi West, Necropolis of the large fort. 6th-beg. of 7th c. CE. Terracotta. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: EO 1091.
	Funeral box. Kucha, Subashi West, Necropolis at base of stupa near the large fort. 6th-7th c. CE. Polychromed wood. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: EO 1012.
	Two torsos, from scenes of Buddhist history. Kucha, Subashi West, Large fort. End of 6th-beg. of 7th c. CE. Unbaked clay. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. no.: MG 23751 and unnumbered.
	Grinning masks. Kucha, Subashi West, Large fort. End of 6th-beg. of 7th c. CE. Unbaked clay. Pelliot expedition, 1906-1909. Inv. nos.: MG 17738, 17749.