The exhibition highlights how the movement of people, objects, and ideas along the Silk Road between 500 and 1000 CE shaped culture and history.
The art and architecture of the Samanid state (875–999 CE) exhibit Persian influences, which are particularly evident in a large gypsum panel with floral medallions. This piece was discovered by archaeologist Mikhail Masson during excavations in 1919 in the western part of the Afrasiab settlement in Samarkand. The work, measuring 102 x 282 cm, originally adorned the wall of a Samanid residential complex and has been preserved in nearly perfect condition.
The Silk Roads exhibition will remain open in the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the British Museum until February 23, 2025.