Connecting Civilizations: From Ancient Central Asia to East Asia

Finished

Since ancient times, East-West exchange in Eurasia has produced a rich culture. As early as the 4th century A.D., the Iran-descended Sogdians – a trading people who reached Luoyang at the dawn of China’s Northern Dynast via the Silk Road –introduced western culture to the East and greatly influenced the formation of China’s dynastic culture. Their influence was particularly great during the Tang Dynasty, forming a large cultural sphere covering half of the Eurasian continent and extending all the way to Japan. Later, when the Tang lost this trade network due to civil war, the Sogdians left their mark on the cultural formation of the Tibetans, who expanded their reach from Central Asia westward. Through some 80 displays (about 100 objects), this exhibition traces the origins of the Sogdian spiritual world from the Bronze Age in Central Asia and Eastern Iran, as well as their art in the Chinese mainland and their legacy in China and Central Asia.

Schedule

Sep 3 (Sat) 2022-Dec 11 (Sun) 2022