Afghanistan Crossroads of the Ancient World – British Museum

Once again just catching a glimpse of the artefacts on display in the Afghanistan Crossroads of the Ancient World exhibition was a challenge due to the enormous crowds. Most visitors spent the entire time craning their necks, jostling and nudging. Others had given up on seeing the exhibition in any great detail and decided to take a passing glance rather than having to squeeze and shove amongst the amassed throng.

The inability to see, let alone, savour the exhibition will undoubtedly affect the visitor’s experience and enjoyment. However, this problem is not unique to the British Museum, and is seen more and more at the big blockbuster exhibitions.

Despite having to fight to see the artefacts the exhibition was extremely interesting due to the new insight it gave into Afghanistan. This is a country that is rarely out of the headlines, but the present depiction of Afghanistan as the war-torn base of the oppressive, fundamental Taliban, is far removed from the country’s ancient history.

More than two thousand years before the existence of the Taliban, and hundreds of years before Islam came to Afghanistan, the country was a vast melting- pot of diverse influences. The most prominent of these influences were Greece and India, which came about due to Afghanistan’s prominent position on many ancient trade routes.

Afghanistan was part of the ancient Silk Road, and it was not only trade that travelled along this route but also ideas and artistic traditions. This goes a long way to explain how such a varied collection of artefacts – Roman glass, Indian ivory furniture and Chinese lacquer ware – was found in Afghanistan as well as giving an insight into the fusion of ideas, methods and traditions to be seen in much of the work on display.

This merging of ancient cultures is apparent in some of my favourite objects from the exhibition:

Woman Standing on a Makara – 1st Century AD
This beautifully detailed ivory statue is remarkable in its depiction of feminine beauty. Here is a sculpture of a woman whose clothing, jewellery, face and body show an obvious Indian influence. In fact, it would not look out of place in an exhibition on early Indian art.

Painted Beaker – 1st Century AD
This vibrant and colourful glass beaker - awash with sunshine yellows, deep blues, powerful crimsons and refreshing greens - shows a clear Roman influence not only in the figures depicted harvesting dates, and especially their clothing, but more importantly in the method of creating the beaker itself. Painted glassware was a Roman speciality during this period, and this piece proves the exchange of ideas and techniques between the Rome Empire and Afghanistan. The bright and lively images are truly extraordinary and the delicate decorations are a joy to behold.

Crown – 1st Century AD
This was the centrepiece, and masterpiece, of the exhibition. A stunning and delicate gold crown, made from thin flower- shaped, teardrop-shaped and rounded pieces of gold. This intricate piece is technically sublime, showcasing the masterful craftsmanship of the early inhabitants of Afghanistan. Furthermore the piece can be deconstructed into six pieces and transported should the need arise.

The exhibition succeeded in showing Afghanistan’s position as a trading crossroads and the influence this had on the country’s culture. However, it would have been interesting to see later artefacts and works of art from Afghanistan in order to understand the development of the country’s culture, and how tribes and peoples settling from different areas had affected and influenced that culture.

Over all, this was a very interesting exhibition that succeeded in revealing a little known chapter in Afghanistan’s history; it was just a pity that at times it was very hard to actually see the artefacts on display.