Exhibitions

Center of the World: China and the Silk Road

October 14, 2017 – Indefinitely
Add to My Visit

Foliated mirror with birds and floral scrolls, China, early or mid-Tang dynasty, late 7th–early 8th century, cast bronze and applied gold plaque with repoussé, chased, and ring-punched decoration, Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment, Freer Gallery of Art, F1930.45

Freer Gallery of Art
Jefferson Drive and 12th St., SW
Washington, DC

Gallery 16

See on Map Floor Plan

Located in northwest China, Chang’an (modern Xi’an) served as the gateway to the so-called Silk Road, overland trade routes that linked the prosperous Tang empire with Central, West, and South Asia. Foreign merchants joined Buddhist missionaries, diplomatic envoys, translators, craftsmen, entertainers, and other skilled immigrants to transform Chang’an into a cosmopolitan city. This wealthy, worldly hub offered a ready market for exotic imports, including silver and gold objects, delicate glassware, and even grape wine. To meet accelerating demand for stylish goods, local artisans translated foreign designs into a Chinese style.

Of all the travelers to Chang’an, the most successful group came from the distant kingdom of Sogdiana, located far to the west in modern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. These Persian speakers seamlessly connected the cultural realms of China and Iran. While some traders and artisans traveled back and forth across Asia, others settled in China, where they helped fuel a fashion for Central Asian culture. One Sogdian community leader who died in China chose to be buried in a Sino-Sogdian manner and commissioned the funerary couch on view in this exhibition. Over time, the Sogdian population was gradually absorbed into Chinese society. Today, the Sogdians are regarded as a lost people.