An exhibition on Asian civilisations, The Splendours of Uzbekistan’s Oases, is on display at the Musée du Louvre from November 23rd, 2022 to March 6th, 2023.
Encompassing the history from the 5th and 6th century BC to the Timurid period, the exhibition illustrates the history of the magnificent Silk Road that passes through the south of modern-day Uzbekistan, reflecting a millennium of cultural integration and exchange in Uzbekistan. A total of 172 artworks are presented, including murals, engravings and arts and crafts from 16 museums of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Musée du Louvre, the National Library of France, the British Museum, the British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and other major museums, libraries, foundations and collections around the world. Thanks to numerous archaeological and major restoration works over the past three years, some of the exhibits are on public display for the very first time.
Many regions along the Silk Road are at the crossroads of various caravan routes, where traces and treasures of numerous cultures have been preserved. Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Chairperson of the Art and Culture Development Foundation of the Republic of Uzbekistan, has expressed that Uzbekistan has always been a hub for cultural exchange and trade, and the Silk Road has become, in a sense, the first global economic project. The exhibition at the Louvre, covering over two millennium of history, showcases a multifaceted view of the culture of various civilizations that existed on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan, as well as the country’s unique heritage in the global cultural context. Rocco Rante, curator and archaeologist from the Department of Islamic Art at the Musée du Louvre, hoped that the exhibition would show the civilization and culture of Central Asia to European audiences, as well as the close historical connections between Central Asia and Europe, since these two regions share many common historical moments.
Sources: Musée du Louvre, Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the People's Republic of China, Phoenix New Media Limited.