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Luxury Arts of the Silk Route Empires.

May 9, 1993 - January 28, 2007

Museum: Freer Gallery of Art

Location: Underground Galleries connecting Freer & Sackler Galleries

Two thousand years before today's global economy, an exchange network linked the continent of Asia via the Silk Route. Fifty-eight objects from the Freer Gallery and 24 objects from the Sackler Gallery explore the rich artistic interactions that resulted from these commercial ties. Silver-gilt and porcelain vessels, mirrors, and other luxury possessions illustrate the influence of West Asian ornament and styles on works produced in Central Asia and China. Related publication available in Gallery Shop: Ancient Iranian Metalwork, by Ann C. Gunter and Paul Jett. $45 (cloth); $24.95 (paper)