We were both interested in a show of nomadic jewelry at the Institut du Monde Arabe, which also has a lovely lunch room. When we arrived, there was a new outdoor garden that was part of another exhibition, so we got tickets to that as well.
Above are rings.
We both liked this bracelet of a snake flicking his curly tongue.
After the jewels, we headed to the ground floor which began the mid-orient garden exhibition. It was the star of the day, perhaps the whole trip.
First there was an "educational" display of how waterworks were developed for the gardens.
Then of course, there were instructions as to how to irrigate the gardens.
Fountains and pools are the central theme of any traditional garden.
Once you know what you are looking at, you realize that most of the decorative themes of the middle east are based on gardens and the animals that inhabit them. Those without the space or money for a garden might have a fountain with tiles depicting plans and garden animals.
Then we went outside to see what the actual garden looked like.
The central feature of the garden was a group of raised beds that were slanted so that from a specific perspective, they appeared to be a flat garden, much more extensive.
A sitting area was tucked underneath.
Above you can see the ramp leading to the location for viewing the trompe l'oeil garden, with the slanted beds at the right of the picture.
A water feature, beginning with a waterfall and flowing underneath two levels of the raised beds.
The raised beds from a corner.
The viewing platform.
The raised garden seen from the intended viewing point, appearing to be one continuous, flat garden.
We are hoping that the garden will remain, a great place to visit for a coffee or ice cream after a visit to the museum.
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