Daxin’s Blurb2

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What’s in front of you is an exhibition that I went to in the Met   : Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. Shelly had blurbed about it or Ke had written review about it. But I decided to save it for a podcast because no matter how many times I look at the artifacts, they still amaze me.

Exhibition was divided into four sections, chronologically recorded the artistic achievement of the Afghanistan from the Bronze Age to a recently discovered nomadic tomb. The first part of the exhibition covers gold, bronze, or copper-made vessels and objects from the Bronze Age. These works are relatively simple in designs but rich in materials. What you see now is Fragment of a bowl depicting bearded bulls. The second part was the Hellenistic period under Alexandra the Great. Afghanistan then served as a center where Hellenism and eastern traditions intermingled. So we see this Greek portrait of possibly Strato, this Indian style water spout, and the mixed art form—a golden plague depicting Greek mythology.  Then comes the Silk Road, to me was the best part because it integrates many cultures into one through trading. It includes Egyptian ivory sculptures that celebrate women; Eurasian and middle eastern technique in glass making; European Greek style sculpture; and typical Indian statue of God. The last part is where the “blingblings” come into play. As I walked through the “tomb” of this nomadic general, I wonder where did these extravagant luxuries come from and why are they buried. I was astonished by the amount of gold used, the techniques that’s used, and how luxurious these ancient people’s life must have been. Don’t you want to wear this golden crown at least once in your life?