Visitors of all ages can meet Asterix, Obelix, the druid Panoramix, and the entire community of indomitable Gauls, ready for new summer adventures inside their iconic village,at the Benaki Toy Museum through August.
The resourceful hero and his companions, who were born in 1959 from the minds of René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, are presented at the museum in what the institution aptly describes as a composition that “fears neither Roman legions nor the dust of time.”
A Collectible Toy Steps into the Light
The display is part of the collectible series “Uderzo: Mini & Village Astérix” by the French company Pixi & Cie, produced in France during the 1990s. It is one of only 500 numbered sets, featuring hand-painted metal figurines that capture the beloved comic book world in remarkable detail. This magnificent composition and the timeless universe of Asterix are part of the “Toys in the Light” initiative, which launched this past February out of the need to bring significant toys out of the museum’s storage spaces, where they had remained unseen due to the sheer size of the collection. This is according to Mary Vergou, the museum’s director.
To understand just how pressing that need is, consider that the museum currently displays roughly 3,500 toys, while more than 25,000 toys and childhood objects sit in storage. The new initiative also aims to draw attention to items already on display that have not received the recognition they deserve. The philosophy behind it, as Vergou explains, is that “a toy is not only a means of entertainment, but a precious piece of collective memory and culture, connecting generations, telling stories, and carrying the values, fears, dreams, and desires of every era.”
Every quarter, a different toy from the collection is spotlighted at the Benaki Toy Museum, illuminating the dimension of play as a vehicle for culture, imagination, and human connection. In the current installment, running through the end of July (the museum closes in August for summer break), Asterix takes center stage with the 1997 collectible set. Since the original packaging box had been damaged at the time of donation, the display case was designed to recreate the distinctive red of the original box, reproducing the atmosphere and aesthetic of the object as faithfully as possible.
Asterix as a Global Cultural Symbol of Friendship
Why was Asterix and his Gaulish village chosen for this period? The particular toy had never been exhibited before, having come directly from the museum’s storage. There is even a plan to find it a permanent home within the museum once the current initiative concludes, given how exceptionally rare the object is. “Asterix was chosen not only because he is a beloved character, but also because he represents a global cultural symbol that speaks to friendship, solidarity, resistance, humor, and the need to preserve one’s identity even in the face of adversity,” says Vergou. “He represents an entire microcosm full of characters who, despite their differences, function as a community.”
This is one of the aspects the museum team considers especially significant: through the images, objects, and references to the world of Asterix, children have the chance to discover a timeless hero, while adults can revisit moments from their own childhoods.
The exhibit does not confine itself to a single scene; it recreates various everyday moments from life in the Gaulish village — the fishmonger Unhygienix with his fish, Cacofonix the bard, the druid Getafix stirring his magic potion, and other familiar figures and small stories that together make up the world of Asterix.
The Gaulish Banquet
Alongside the exhibit, the museum organized a participatory event inspired by the “Gaulish Banquet,” in which visitors of all ages were invited to actively contribute by assembling, together, a large festive scene inspired by the Gaulish village and its heroes, using Playmobi
