As king of the cuddly toys and star of many favourite animations – think Winnie-the-Pooh and Paddington – bears have long been synonymous with childhood, but things haven’t always been a picnic for them. This show at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (4 December–22 June 2025) pads through the complex history of human–bear interaction, taking in prehistoric cohabitation, pagan worship and circus performance, before moving on to the birth of teddy bear in the 1900s. More than 400 teddy bears feature in the exhibition, from early examples made of straw to more familiar faux-fur toys, as well as several creations, such as a Moschino coat decorated with a teddy bear collar, which show how the teddy bear still inspires artists and designers today.
Find out more from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs website.
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Huggy Bears (1980), Dakin. Photo: © Les Arts Décoratifs
Poster, ‘Every night. Winter Circus. Siberian bears’, late 19th–early 20th century, Charles Lévy. Photo: © Les Arts Décoratifs
Black teddy bear coat and belt from the Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 1988 collection by Moschino. Photo: © Les Arts Décoratifs