"Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan" Exhibition
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
This event has ended.
The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University (ISAW) presents the first U.S. exhibition to provide a comprehensive overview of the fascinating nomadic culture of ancient Kazakhstan. "Nomads and Networks: The Ancient Art and Culture of Kazakhstan" focuses on the peoples of the Altai and Tianshan regions, which are located in the eastern part of the country, from roughly the eighth to first centuries BC. With nearly 250 objects on loan from Kazakhstan's four national museums, the exhibition provides a compelling portrait of nomadic culture, challenging the traditional view of these societies as less developed than sedentary ones.
Artifacts on view in the exhibition range from bronze openwork offering-stands, superbly decorated with animal and human figures; to petroglyphs marking important places in the landscape; to dazzling gold adornments that marked the social status of those who wore them. A highlight is recently excavated, never-displayed material from a fourth–third century cemetery near the Russian/Chinese border, where permafrost conditions enabled the preservation of organic materials. Included here are such objects as saddles and expertly carved horse trappings that display fascinating hybrid mythica l animals, among a variety of other artifacts.
[Image: Cauldron protome depicting winged mountain goats]
Media
Schedule
from March 07, 2012 to June 03, 2012