Wander Words

A Nation stays alive when its culture stays alive”

The Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan * Press and invited guests previewing 5/20/08 * National Gallery of Art * Washington, D.C.
On the morning of May 20th, 2008 I was invited to D.C. to attend the press and invited guest previewing of the Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan - over 228 artifacts that were unearthed in modern Afghanistan - most of which are being viewed for the very first time in the United States. These artifacts highly reflect the important role that Afghanistan played in the Silk Trade route aka the “Silk Road” that connected most parts of Asia with the Mediterranean. During the last 25 years, tremendous amount of war and conflict has plagued this country, from Russia to the Taliban, destroying a good portion of Afghanistan’s historical treasures - these items were originally believed to be destroyed or lost until they were dramatically recovered from a hidden vault under the Presidential Palace in 2004. These were once the remains of the treasures once held in the National Museum at Kabul before it was ransacked and destroyed. Dating from 2200 BC to AD 200, the objects reflects Afghanistan’s rich history, cultural significance, and mosaic of importance in world history. The collections consists of gold bowls from Mesopotamia from Tepe Fullol in Northern Afghanistan, bronze and stone statues from the site of the former Greek city of Ai Khanum; bronzes, ivories, and painted glassware imported from Roman and Indian markets discovered in Begram; and over 100 gold ornaments from among 20,000 pieces known as the “Bactrian Hoard” found in 1978 in Tillya Tepe, the site of six nomadic graves. A National Geographic Video (2 minutes) can be viewed about the collection here: http://luxmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o10/clients/nationalgallery/afghanistan/afghanistan-new.m4v. This collection is highly impressive and worth coming to see, especially in its home city where National Geographic Society resides with the National Gallery of Art. It’s tour in North America is as follows: National Gallery of Art, May 25–September 7, 2008; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, October 24, 2008–January 25, 2009; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 22–May 17, 2009; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, June 23–September 20, 2009. Rating 5 stars out of 5. Viewed 5/20/08.

leafworks wrote this on May 26th, 2008 and filed it under Museum Exhibitions, Travel, Travel Report, events, reviews, travelogues |