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Chinese, Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.). Silks. © AMNH/D. Finnin. |
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| Chinese, Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.). Drum. © Courtesy of the AMNH Division of Anthropology. |
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| Persian (13th Century A.D.). Bowl Depicting Bahram Gur and Azadeh. Painted ceramic. © Brooklyn Museum. |
Traveling the Silk Road Exhibition at
American Museum of Natural HistoryBy STAN PARCHIN
September 25, 2009
Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World at the
American Museum of Natural History in New York (November 14, 2009-August 15, 2010) explores civilizations along the world's most famous ancient trade route. The presentation is scheduled to travel in the United States and abroad.
The interactive exhibition, spanning 600 to 1200 A.D., describes the peoples, goods and technologies of four Asian cities: Xi'an, capital of Tang Dynasty China; the oasis of Turfan; Samarkand, the home of prosperous merchants located between China and the West; and Baghdad, a commercial and intellectual beneficiary of the extensive caravan trade network.
Arranged as a journey, the installation allows visitors to experience the various forms of cultural exchange between the cities and empires of Central and West Asia. Highlights include: live silkworms spinning cocoons in the section devoted to Xi'an; a replica of Turfan's desert markets, with exotic spices, luxury items and precious raw materials on view; a life-sized model of a camel, along with explanations of papermaking and metalworking in Samarkand; and a working facsimile of an Arab astrolabe that introduces Baghdad's achievements in Islamic science and engineering.
Traveling the Silk Road... is suitable for children as well as adults. Students are issued "passports" at the exhibition's entrance and collect special stamps along the show's path.