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Afghanistan's Ethnic cool at the MET
By Leah Yin
Pair of pendants depicting the "Dragon Master" (Tillya Tepe, Tomb II), 100 BCE-100 CE. Gold, turquoise, garnet, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and pearl. National Museum of Afghanistan. Used with permission. ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet
Rarely is "global village" used to describe Afghanistan these days but dig past the media clips of military warfare, the Kite Runner, and that unforgettable National Geographic magazine cover of the Afghan Girl with mesmerizing eyes, and you'll discover the rich cultural history of a country that flourished as a critical trading center along the Silk Road. Within this ethnically diverse environment, the Afghan people birthed their unique sampling style that remixes East Asian, Nomadic and Roman sensibility in the products they created. As Omara Khan Massoudi, the curator of The National Museum of Kabul puts it, "The history of Afghanistan is one of receiving the arts of others, and then turning them into our own way of expression." Sound familiar doesn't it?
From now until September 20th, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC is exhibiting Afghanistan, Hidden Treasures From the National Museum, Kabul. This show gives visitors a rare opportunity to view remnants of Afghanistan's heritage and history and uncover the miraculous account of how the relics were protected from war and looters. Seeing past the "bling" (as in pure gold objet d'art- and there are lots of it), this exhibition attempts to spark a earnest conversation with the public about how and why a national identity is interdependent with a well-preserved cultural heritage. The UNESCO motto, "A nation stays alive when it's culture stays alive" echoes as a hopeful mandate throughout the show, challenging viewers to envision a new Afghanistan, beyond this country's recent war torn identity.
Listen to a preview of the exhibition Audio Guide on www.metmuseum.org.
A pair of clasps. Cupids on dolphins (Tillya Tepe, Tomb III)
100 BCE-100 CE. Gold, turquoise, mother of pearl. National Museum of Afghanistan
Used with persmission. ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet
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August 16, 2009 at 10:15 AM
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