Shanghai exhibition shows items from Kushan Dynasty
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Crossroads: The Beliefs and Arts of the Kushan Dynasty is an exhibition about an important period in the Silk Road’s development.
The exhibition of items from four museums in China kicked off at the Shanghai Museum on Dec 29 and will run until March 18.
The exhibits are from the Shanghai Museum, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, the Hetian Museum in Xinjiang and the Lyushun Museum in Liaoning province.
The Kushan Dynasty was an empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early first century. At the height of its power, it covered central and southern Asia.
According to Wang Yue, the curator of the exhibition and a researcher at the Shanghai Museum, “the Kushan Dynasty existed only for a couple of centuries, and didn’t achieve glorious feats.
“Yet it played an important part in the development of the Silk Road.”
The Kushan Empire was located in a key destination along the ancient trade route. And it was open and tolerant of cultures and art pouring in from all directions, he says.
“Such openness nurtured a distinctive Kushan culture and helped the diverse civilizations in Asia and Europe to influence and merge with one another.”
The Silk Road was the vital trade route bridging Europe and Asia. It not only facilitated commercial exchanges, but also channeled communication among and fusions of cultures and religions, says Yang Zhigang, director of the Shanghai Museum.
In the past few years, there has been growing public interest in the Silk Road in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.
So, the museum is focusing on the subject from this aspect by showcasing this openness and tolerance, the cultural essence of the Silk Road, says Yang.
In its contribution, the Shanghai Museum features 12 Kushan coins from its collection, largely boosted by the continued support from Du Weishan, the youngest son of Du Yuesheng, an eminent tycoon and mafia leader in 1930s’ Shanghai, says Wang.
The coins on display are different from ancient Chinese coins made through casting. Kushan-era coins were made from repeated hammering, following the practice of ancient Greece and Rome.
While the earliest coins have the king’s profile on them — just like Roman coins — a distinctive “Kushan style” gradually emerged, featuring a fulllength portrait of the king wearing a Kushan-style high crown, holding a scepter in one hand, and pointing at an altar with the other.
The Hindu deity Siva was portrayed on the backs of the coins.
“The currency helped the dynasty to be accepted by newly conquered territories and played an active part in the expansion of the empire,” says Wang.
Among the sculptures on display is a Buddha sitting in a hall decorated with Corinthian columns on either side.
“The exquisite piece presented a Buddhist sermon alongside a symbol of Greek architecture and achieved wonderful harmony,” says Wang.