Silk Roads

On Saturday, before the football, I had a free morning in London, which allowed me to visit the new exhibition at the British Museum on the Silk Roads. Peter Frankopan's book widened my understanding of the various east-west trade routes, and the exhibits in this display give a real feel of how the world was interconnected long before air travel and the internet.

Like all of the British Museum's special exhibitions, they use exhibits from across the world and their extensive collection. The layout is roughly geographical, starting in Japan and China and working westward. There are lots of silks in various forms, including this funerary banner of a high-ranking Uyghur from around 900AD.

Some are murals that tell a story of international relations, such as this Sogdian 'Hall of the Ambassadors'.

Of course, the Vikings get everywhere! 

Possibly my favourite exhibit. The earliest known chess pieces in the world were probably from India and made of ivory. Excavated in Samarkand in 700AD.

The Byzantines initially disparaged Sasanian clothing, but by 500AD, they adopted their designs.  This one is better tailored than the traditional Byzantine style and is made of linen, silk and cashmere. It would cost a pretty penny today.

Relations between Islamic and Christian kingdoms in Spain were not always warlike. This ivory cross shows Islamic influences and was probably a diplomatic gift from Cordoba to Pamplona.

This was another diplomatic gift, representing an elephant that Harun al-Rashi sent to Charlemagne. 

Finally, this tiny coin demonstrates the world's interconnectedness during the so-called Dark Ages. This coin was minted by King Offa, copying an Abbasid dinar, inserting his own name between the Arabic script which says, 'There is no God but Allah'. We have to assume his priests couldn't read Arabic!

A fascinating exhibition, and well worth a look if you are in London.