Secrets of the Silk Road: Curator's Travel Blog March 3, 2010

Friday, 05 March 2010

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I am back in Beijing after a whirlwind of a trip to Urumuqi where we finished condition reporting the bulk of the objects coming to Bowers Museum for the Secrets of the Silk Road exhibition. As expected, the objects are far more beautiful in person and really incredible when considering their age and what they tell us about people, trade and cultural exchange in ancient Central Asia.

Condition reporting requires your attention be focused on minutia of its condition (is it broken, is it stable, is there any damage, will it survive travel) and rarely affords you the chance to step back and think about a piece as it functioned in its actual context. Still there were some moments that I had a chance to pause and really look at some of the objects.

One of the items that most stood out to me was the felted hat with goose feather and weasel fur details in absolutely perfect condition. The hat is a perfect example of function and fashion coming together. This hat belonged to someone who lived out in the very cold desert region of Xinjiang somewhere between 1800-1500 BC! And let me tell you it was cold out there - I am astounded at how ancient people braved and survived such extreme conditions. Because of the dry environment, the perfect preservation of objects like this hat have occurred, allowing scholars to construct the early history of the Silk Road.

I loved coming face to face with the Figure of a Foreigner from the Western Regions (7th-9th Century) sporting a wonderful moustache. We had two things in common, first that we were not typical of the people of Xinjiang province. I saw very few foreigners myself and he was not typical of the mostly Han population of Astana, where he was entombed. Also, in his sculpted manifestation, we are about the same height.

I felt a little envious of the woman who owned the pair of earrings (3rd-4th Century) that had been described to us as gold earrings with glass stone they are stunning! Dr. Keller, having a background in gems, was able to take a closer look at and identify the glass”as aquamarine probably originating from Afghanistan. The earrings also have small pearls, probably from the Indian Ocean. The red stone inlayed in the gold was not identified but beautiful nonetheless. The components used to construct such a fine pair of earrings came from many far places and belonged, no doubt, to someone of importance.

A beautiful, albeit partial, painting of Buddha standing on a lotus was identified in the center of a robe (3rd-4th Century). It is a reminder of the influx of new religions to and through Central Asia, the hub of the ancient Silk Roads. With 19 more objects to condition report in Beijing, my trip here is almost finished. This exhibition is simply remarkable and it is a privilege to be hosting it at Bowers Museum.

Julie Lee
Beijing
March 3, 2010

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