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MONKS AND MERCHANTS: SILK ROAD TREASURES FROM
NORTHWEST CHINA, 4TH–7TH CENTURY
NOVEMBER 17, 2001 THROUGH JANUARY 6, 2002
The first major exhibition to be held in the Asia Society’s completely renovated and expanded museum galleries at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street) in New York City is “Monks and Merchants: Silk Road Treasures from Northwest China, 4th–7th Century.” The exhibition comprises more than 120 spectacular artifacts – including Buddhist images, metalwork, textiles, glass, funerary furniture and ceramics, many only recently excavated and most never before seen in the West, from the only stretch of the Silk Road that traversed ancient China. The exhibition opens on November 17 and will remain on view through January 6, 2002.
According to Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of Asia Society Museum and Cultural Programs, “ ‘Monks and Merchants’ is an important exhibition with which to inaugurate our new museum galleries at the beginning of the 21st century. In an era of transnational trade and cultural globalization and the tensions that arise out of these trends, it is important to remember that a millennium ago, Asia experienced an era of similar economic and cultural creativity in a climate of tolerance and open-minded exchange as well as conflict.”
Set in a period of disunity in China’s history – the tumultuous four hundred years between the fall of the Han dynasty and the rise of the Tang empire – the exhibition tells the story of relationships among cultures and societies through trade and religion as opposed to military conquests. The period is far less well known than the Han and Tang periods, mainly because of a paucity of historical texts. And yet, it is a period of considerable cultural and artistic achievement. This exhibition draws extensively on recent archaeological excavations
of sites and largely unpublished material from Gansu and Ningxia, in the northwest of China, to reveal the impact of new religious, ethnic and cultural influences penetrating China during this time and their transformative effect on Chinese culture. During these centuries, China’s ancient civilization and art were almost totally transformed by Buddhism, which spread from India across Central Asia into China together with the increased commercial activity along the Silk Road.
The part of northwest China the exhibition focuses on was a virtual melting pot of ethnic groups and traditions that ultimately influenced cultural trends in the metropolitan centers farther east. Among the prominent groups were the Sogdians, an Iranian people widely dispersed through Central Asia, who were the most successful traders on the Silk Road as well as important transmitters of Buddhist materials. They interacted with the Tibetans and nomads who also formed the complex society in this area in the aftermath of the Han empire.
As the main entry to China from the West, Gansu and Ningxia were critical in the ancient world, yet, with the exception of Dunhuang, other spectacular Buddhist cave sites
in the vicinity remain little known. Most of the objects featured in “Monks and Merchants” can be associated with a specific site or area, having been either scientifically excavated or documented soon after their discovery; all are in official public collections in Gansu province and Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (The one exception is the “Sogdian Ancient Letter II,” from the British Library, London.)
Foremost among the approximately 120 objects are some highly important “exotic” pieces, either actual imports from Central or Western Asia or Chinese artifacts inspired by foreign styles. The former include a remarkable silver-gilt ewer with classical scenes, a Sasanian glass bowl and sword, and Byzantine coins all yielded by a cemetery of merchant-officials of Central Asian and Sogdian descent. Buddhist sculpture also forms an important section of the exhibition and includes some exceptionally beautiful images from Dunhuang and Maijishan, two of China’s four great Buddhist grottos.
Taken together, these remarkable works provide an unprecedented opportunity to explore issues of ethnic identity – what is, what is not, Chinese, then and now. Many of the objects were produced in foreign lands and travelled great distances to arrive in China. The ideas, styles and motifs transmitted – such as an interest in naturalism, the image of the
inhabited vine, and decorative beaded borders – were assimilated and transformed by the Tang to create a new, national style that defined the three centuries of their rule and today still influences Chinese arts.
The exhibition is curated by Annette L. Juliano, Rutgers University, and Judith A. Lerner, an independent art historian, in association with Colin A. Mackenzie, Asia Society Museum.
An illustrated catalogue with essays by Juliano and Lerner, and other scholars from China, Russia and the United States, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., accompanies the exhibition.
The Asia Society is also presenting a number of related programs, including a major symposium developed to examine the themes and issues raised by the exhibition, and a live, work-in-progress performance of Wenji, an opera by acclaimed contemporary composer Bun-Ching Lam about a late Han dynasty princess. In addition, a series of lectures, Meet the Author programs, and films will provide a broader social and historical context for the art in the exhibition.
Other exhibitions opening concurrently on November 17 at the Asia Society and Museum are: “Conversations with Traditions: Nilima Sheikh and Shahzia Sikander,” exploring the work of two contemporary South Asian women artists in a dialogue with their traditional sources – Indian miniature paintings; and “The Creative Eye: New Perspectives on the Asia Society’s Rockefeller Collection,” in which prominent artists, writers, musicians and performing artists have selected their favorite pieces from the Society’s renowned permanent collection. Also at the time of the opening, eight newly commissioned long-term installations by internationally known and upcoming Asian and Asian American artists will be unveiled.
J. P. Morgan Chase & Co. is the lead corporate sponsor of “Monks and Merchants.” Major support for the exhibition is also provided by The W.L.S. Spencer Foundation, The Starr Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc., the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the individuals of Gansu Dotcom.
Support for the Asia Society’s Cultural Programs is provided by the Friends of Asian Arts, Wallace – Reader’s Digest Funds, The Starr Foundation, the Booth Ferris Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Hazen Polsky Foundation, Inc., and the Harold J. and Ruth Newman Philanthropic Fund.
The Asia Society is America’s leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of
Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Manila and Shanghai. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021.
(212) 288-6400. (www.asiasociety.org).
Asia Society and Museum Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M., with extended evening hours Fridays until 9:00 P.M. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission: $7; $4 for seniors and students with ID; free for members and persons under 16; and free to all on Fridays, 6:00 – 9:00 P.M.
Asia Society Internet Sites and Resources
The Asia Society is a leader in the use of communications technology and the Internet to reach and connect people
around the world. The Society's Web sites, which have earned more than a dozen national awards for excellence,
include:
www.AsiaSociety.org - provides information about the Society's programs, exhibitions, and permanent
collection, as well as general background on the Society.
www.AskAsia.org - is one of the premiere resources for K-12 educators and students interested
in Asian and Asian American studies.
www.AsiaSource.org - presents interpretation of breaking news stories, analysis of trends in Asia,
guides to Asian visual and performing arts, access to country profiles, and more.
www.AsiaBusinessToday.org - provides knowledgeable, unbiased information on a range of issues including
US-Asia trade, technology developments, and global finance.
www.AsiaFood.org - online resource on Asian cuisines featuring two searchable databases of over
500 recipes and glossary terms.
The interconnected sites offer enormous resources of information on Asia, including background and interpretation
of breaking news stories, analysis on trends in Asia and guides to Asian visual and performing arts, as well as
access to country profiles and experts on all aspects of Asian public affairs, history, and culture. The renovation
will enable the Society to use interactive technologies to more effectively promote communication between the peoples
of Asia and America.
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