Musée des Émaux et de la Mosaïque de Briare
Museum in the former home of the founder of the Briare factory: buttons, beads and enamel mosaics. Visits by reservation.
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About the museum
The museum occupies the former residence of Jean-Félix Bapterosses, founder of Briare's button industry, on the current production site of Émaux de Briare. It tells the story of around 160 years of industrial art in the town.
The factory was founded in 1837 as a fine earthenware works and went through several setbacks before Bapterosses took it over in 1851. His machine could stamp 500 buttons at once, which brought commercial success. From 1864 the factory also produced beads, which were highly prized in Africa, and around 1885 the Émaux de Briare, ready-to-use tesserae for mosaics.
The collections include machines, archive documents, a historic kiln, buttons, beads and mosaics from the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Eugène Grasset and Victor Vasarely. A film explains how the enamels are made. In 2019 the museum received the “Maison des Illustres” label.
Highlights
- Collection of Briare buttons and beads
- Enamel mosaics by Eugène Grasset and Victor Vasarely
- Machines and archives of the Briare factory
- Film on how the enamels are made
- Former home of founder Jean-Félix Bapterosses
Permanent exhibition
- La manufacture de Briare : boutons, perles et émaux – A route through the industrial history of the factory, with machines, archives, buttons, beads and enamel mosaics.
- Founded
- 1994
- Visitors per year
- approx. 13,558
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A reserved parking space is located in the main car park near the museum gate. Parking in front of the main entrance, at ground level, is permitted only to make access easier for people with disabilities. A wheelchair can be lent on request at reception.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
The museum offers workshops, educational tours and birthday afternoon packages with a snack.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gare de Briare · 5-min walk
Briare station is a 5-minute walk from the museum.
By car
Parking available
Parking for bicycles, cars and coaches near the museum's main gate.
- Accessible parking
According to the website, the museum is about 1.5 to 2 km from the Briare canal bridge.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
A factory outlet shop of Émaux de Briare, open Tuesday to Saturday, adjoins the museum.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The museum offers private hire of its spaces; conditions are available from the museum.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography is prohibited in the museum for copyright reasons |
| Good to know | Guided tours for groups and, on request, for individual visitors; average duration of a group tour: 1 hour. The museum offers mosaic workshops and birthday afternoon packages with a snack. Dogs on a lead are welcome, except category 1 and 2 dogs. |
