Wood.

H.20.1cm, W. 15cm, D. 10.2cm.

The British Museum, London. 1909,0519.5

gift of Sir Percival David/ Hon Mrs Basil Lonides.

About: The Spread of the Buddhism Five of the ‘one million pagodas’ ( Hyakumanto) The British Museum ‘Commissioned by the empress Shotoku, Each of the miniature wooden pagodas encased a printed and rolled up Buddist invocation (dharani) in Chinese taken from the sutra of the dharani of pure unsullied light. One Thousand of them were distributed among ten major monasteries.

Earthenware with Sancai glaze; silver lid.

| Jar body H.16.5cm, D. 21.3 cm | Jar mouth D 15.2cm | Jar Lid 16cm |

Gyeongju national museum, Korea.

About: Excavated from near the tomb of king Seongdeok, Gyeongju, Korea. ‘The distinctive splashed glaze belongs to the category of Sancai ( Three - coloured ) wares that were often made for burial. such ceramic tripod jars could be used as incense burners in china but this example may have funtioned as a burial object for the ‘deceased to use in afterlife.’

glass.

L. 73cm (string) Diam 1cm beads.

British museum, London, OA+.2967.1-268.

Gowland collection. Donated by sir Augustus Wollaston Franks.

About: Nara, japan was an important stop along the silk road, the following is a an example of the shosoin Imperial treasury. ‘seventeen of these beads have recently undergone non - destructive analysis at the British museum, indicating fourteen were made of plant- ash composition- while the other three made from potash type suggesting the different sources of glass in japan.’

Earthen with pigment

| H . 14.7cm, W 9.1 cm, D. 8.3cm ( lute player) | H . 15.4cm, W 9.1 cm, D. 8.3cm (harp player) |

Ashmolean museum, University of oxford. EA1991.58 and 59. Bequeathed by J. Gentelli in 1991.

About: Music and Dance played an important role in the Tang dynasty. The following two figures are of female musicians. The pear shaped lute is known as (pipa) which was introduced in china from India and central Asia by the time of the hang dynasty. Initially played using a large plectrum, however during the tang dynasty a finger plucking technique was used.

The harp, (shu konghou) introduced by the west before Tang dynasty. During the tang dynasty non Han Chinese music was played in the court repertoire.

Earthenware and Sancai glaze.

| H.27.2cm, W. 15cm, D. 12.3cm. |

The British Museum, London. 1936,1012.1. Purchased from George Eumorfopoulos.

About: Ewer (Jug) is derived rom West and central Asia. The design included beak like spouts, narrow necks and long handles and rounded bodies. During the Tang dynasty The ewer was imitated, The following Sancai glazed - is a phoenix head ewer.

Kocho ( Gaochang), near Turpan, China.

pigments and gold on cotton. H. 145cm, W 51.5cm D. 0.5 CM.

Meuseum Fur Asiatische kunst, staatliche museen zu Berlin, III 4524. First Turpan Expedition ( 1902-3)

About: Ugyhur Manichaean, Electi or cerlics, kingdom of kocho established in the year 866, (present day Mongolia). The above is a a wall banner depicting the tall headgear, white preistly robes, with only heads exposed.

L. 25.5 cm, H. 9.9 cm, W. 10.7cm.

British museum, don , Mas.495. Stein collection. silk textile fragments

About: Khotan, a buddhist kingdom located between two rivers, karakash and yurungkash.

Khotanese material, silk, woollen and felt items were found in sites around the modern city of Hotel. The Following shoes is made of woollen felt with leather patches, decorated with fan pattern stitching, Mazar Tagh, north of Hotan, showing the daily life along the silk road.

Wall painting

H. 250cm, this section W. 11m entire wall

Samarkand state museum- reserve, Uzbekistan, KP- 6251.

About: The painting depicts the ritual procession, nowruz or Iranian new year . Showing the procession of Varkhuman and an entourage travelling to the shrine of his ancestors, The top part of the painting portrayed. varkhuman greeting the envoys.

C. 660s. Samarkand (Afrasiab, Uzbekistan).

Fire and clay with mica dressing..

H. 24cm, W 14cm

Samarkand state Museum - reserve,

Uzbekistan, A- 183-814.

About: Traders, makers and Transmitters of ideas. Sogdian merchant caravan. The jug imitates metalware, which is accentuated by the mica, giving a metallic sheen. The handle is attached to the top of the neck, as is typical of Sassanian examples.

Kocho ( Gaochang), near Turpan, China.

pigments and gold on cotton. H. 145cm, W 51.5cm

D. 0.5 CM. Meuseum Fur Asiatische kunst,

staatliche museen zu Berlin, III 4524. First Turpan Expedition ( 1902-3)

About: Ugyhur Manichaean, Electi or cerlics, kingdom of kocho established in the year 866, (present day Mongolia). The above is a a wall banner depicting the tall headgear, white preistly robes, with only heads exposed.

excavated to koshoy korgon, inner tien shan ( Tianshan) kyrgyzstan.

clay

H. 19cm, W 27.5cm

National history museum of the kyrgyz republic, bishkek.

About: The incense burner dating to the eighth - tenth century found in the Kosher gorgon settlement, mountainous region at bashy valley, Kyrgyzstan.

Design- The outer rim of the vessel are openings for releasing burnt incense smoke. The body is decorated with repeated stamped medallions encircling the crowned man.

Iron.

W 216.4 cm, L. 19.7 cm Historiska museet, stockholm, 608426.

acquired through the swedish ‘kulturmilagen’ program.

About: Exchange with the Islamic lands. During the ninth and tenth century Islamic silverware began to flow into the baltic region, reaching Sweden and beyond.

The Dirhams arrived in two significant waves, the first in the ninth century coins from ‘ basid’ west Asia, and the second in the tenth, with shamanic coins from central Asia mints.

Many of which were recast into ingots and Scandinavian style jewellery.

The following is a fine silver/ iron neck restraint, potentially used on a captive.

excavated at tuyeEast kazakhstan.

gilt silver, iron and leather.

H. 72cm , 168 cm National museum of the republicof kazakhstan, Astana.

About: Shared horse culture, shared designs. Archieological finds have confirmed the importance of horse culture among the lands of the pastoral nomads since ancient times.

The bridle, of a high ranking kimek warrior is decorated with metal plaques, mostly made of silver, with embossed motifs, including a rounded plaque on the browband with cross that refers to the solar symbol of tengrism (a religion originating in the Eurasian steppes).

Kocho ( Gaochang), near Turpan, China.

pigments and gold on cotton. H. 145cm, W 51.5cm

D. 0.5 CM. Meuseum Fur Asiatische kunst,

staatliche museen zu Berlin, III 4524. First Turpan Expedition ( 1902-3)

About: Ugyhur Manichaean, Electi or cerlics, kingdom of kocho established in the year 866, (present day Mongolia). The above is a a wall banner depicting the tall headgear, white preistly robes, with only heads exposed.

Excavated at Sultanabad, Iran.

Glass.

H. 20cm, Diam. 9cm.

The British Museum London 1913,1009.1. Given by Stephen Salisbury Bagge.

About: Abstract geometric designs. During the shamanic period. The use of abstract design derived from vegetal motifs to more ornate

design were widely used in architectural forms. The following is an example of abstract decorative style carried forward into objects. The Glass bottle, has a linear cut decoration on its globular body. The glassware was found in sites from

Egypt to Iran between 8th-9th century.

Brass.

H. 22.3cm (string) Diam 17cm.

Made in Iraq, probably Baghdad.

The al- sabah collection, Kuwait, LNS 36M.

About: Movement of scholars, pilgrims and ideas. The following navigation tool was made by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al Fazari (746-806).

The astrolabe consists of rotating discs that can be used for telling time and measuring altitude.Primarily made for the elites, Later in the 9th century the astrolabe was used throughout the Islamic world, from Andalusia to Iberian

peninsula, and reaching Europe by the 10th century.

- A depiction

Ink and opaque Watercolour on paper.

H. 35.5cm (string) W.28.8cm.

Made in Iraq, probably Baghdad.

The British Museum London 1925,0220,0.1. Purchased from Georges Tabbagh.

About: During the shamanid dynasty where interplay of languages played a major part.

Rulers embarked on promoting Persian language and culture, The following is a depiction of the ‘shahnama’ - The book of Kings, compiled by the poet Abu’l Qasim Firdawsi.

( D. 1025) Narrates tales of semi mythical kings and heroes in ancient Persia. Firdawsi drew inspiration from existing stories and legends that were circulating, The work began in 977 and finished around 1010 after the shamanid dynasty ended.