Curators’ introduction: Silk Roads

Join co-curators of Silk Roads, Sue Brunning and Yu-ping Luk, for an illustrated introduction to the context, scope, themes and highlight objects of this stunning exhibition.
 
Camel caravans crossing desert dunes, merchants trading silks and spices at bazaars – these are the images that come to mind when we think of the Silk Roads. But the reality goes far beyond this.
 
Rather than a single trade route from East to West, the Silk Roads were made up of overlapping networks linking communities across Asia, Africa and Europe, from Japan to Britain, and from Scandinavia to Madagascar. This major exhibition unravels how the journeys of people, objects and ideas that formed the Silk Roads shaped cultures and histories.
 
The Silk Roads were in use for millennia, but this visually stunning show focuses on a defining period in their history, from about AD 500 to 1000. This time witnessed significant leaps in connectivity and the rise of universal religions that linked communities across continents.
 
This event is part of the public programme supporting the exhibition Silk Roads (26 September 2024 – 23 February 2025).