The undisputed king of toys, the teddy bear moves to the Museum of Decorative Arts of Paris, from 4 December 2024 to 22 June 2025, to tell its incredible story, from prehistory to the present day. 130 teddy bears from 15.000 toys from the museum's collection, are on display, offering a fascinating look at the evolution of an object that has become emblematic. “Mon ours en peluche” The exhibition offers an immersion in the universe of this companion that so inspires artists and stylists. It also plays an important role in cinema, advertising or even literature, becoming a true cultural and social symbol.
Visitors are welcomed upon entering the exhibition through an immersive scenography
The bear growls and invites the visitor to participate in the exhibition. From ferocity to sweetness, from wildness to fiction, the exhibition transports the public to the heart of a “forest”, offering a unique journey into the lair of these mammals. This surprising journey continues with the birth of the teddy bear, at the beginning of the 1902th century. It was 1902 that the famous teddy bear was born, following a bear hunt in which the American president Theodore Roosevelt participated and where he refused to shoot the defenseless bear. His gesture was reported by the press, inspiring Morris Michtom to create a toy in the shape of a teddy bear, which immediately becomes a commercial success. In XNUMX on the other side of the Atlantic, Margarete Steiff and her grandson Richard invented the first teddy bear helping to popularize this toy in Germany. This teddy bear quickly became a bestseller. The ferocious animal, transformed into a sweet and touching response becomes a children's star.
Venerated or feared since prehistoric times, the bear is not a mysterious and unknown animal
The exhibition opens with the very first representations of the animal such as the drawings of the Lascaux caves that lead to forging the myth of a strong and powerful animal, whose representation evolves in the Middle Ages. It is from this period that it gradually becomes stupid and greedy in literature. Photographs with bear trainers in circuses also demonstrate the decline of the animal. With its round and soft shapes, the teddy bear quickly becomes a main character in popular children's literature and culture. Emblematic figures such as Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, the little brown bear and the care bears now populate the world of children. These hero bears that occupy the collective imagination are represented through original drawings and toys exhibited for the first time by the Museum of Decorative Arts. The journey continues with evolutions of the teddy bear over the following decades, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, to meet the ever-growing expectations of children and parents. The teddy bear has also inspired contemporary artists such as Annette Messager, Benoît Pièron or Carole Benzaken.
Emblem of climate change, especially in its polar version, the bear also symbolizes a rise in ecological awareness
Through stories and objects, the exhibition reveals how the teddy bear has stood the test of time and has been able to adapt to social changes. It also reminds us how this object can carry deep meanings, ranging from intimate emotional bonds to the global issues of our time.
