Sul blog del British Museum un articolo mette a fuoco la mostra che sta per essere inaugurata al museo, intitolata Silk Roads (26 settembre 2024 – 23 febbraio 2025) e dedicata all’esplorazione della rete intricata e ricca delle Vie della Seta.

Questo termine, coniato solo nel XIX secolo, evoca spesso immagini di commercio tra Asia ed Europa, con traffici intensi di spezie, seta e carovane di cammelli. Tuttavia, la realtà è più complessa.

The term ‘Silk Road’ was not used by those plying its supposed path in the ancient and medieval past. In fact, it was not coined until the 19th century, and only gained wider currency in the 20th century, when the romanticised notion of the Silk Road grew popular. This vision is a modern concept – however, it bears elements of truth. Certainly, exchanges took place between Asia and Europe in the past; they did involve silk and spices; and camels were one of the ‘vehicles’ used. But in the century and more since the term was coined, research has revealed a richer, more intricately connected world whose horizons stretched even farther than first imagined.

La mostra rivela l’esistenza una rete interconnessa molto estesa che coinvolgeva continenti e culture dal Giappone all’ Irlanda, dall’Artico al Madagascar.

The plural title highlights that, rather than a single route of exchange, there was a web of interlocking networks that spanned Asia, Africa and Europe, from Japan to Ireland, from the Arctic to Madagascar. Their arteries ran in multiple directions, crossed diverse terrains, and conveyed not just silk and spices, but a multitude of objects and materials, people and ideas, which were exchanged in many contexts besides trade. Such interactions helped to shape cultures and histories across continents.

L’articolo è ricco di fotografie e di dettagli che permettono di capire la complessità che sarà in mostra al British Museum:

Silk Roads further departs from convention in its experimental approach to telling big stories in a museum setting. With three curators from different specialisms it marshals, for the first time, artefacts and cross-disciplinary expertise from all British Museum collection departments, while drawing upon existing external networks and forging new ones – truly in the spirit of the Silk Roads. Objects from the Museum collection are generously supported by others borrowed from 29 international lenders, some of whom have never lent to the Museum, or the UK, before. The result is a unique chance to view objects from across Afro-Eurasia together, in one space, where they can be compared and contextualised.

Anche l’arco temporale coperto dalla mostra potrebbe sorprendere, perchè termina molto prima dei viaggi di Marco Polo:

The exhibition’s timeframe of about AD 500 to 1000 may also surprise, since it ends long before Marco Polo’s (1254–1324) travels in Asia – a common Silk Roads touchpoint. But the Silk Roads’ history is longer as well as more expansive than is often thought to be the case – and this is a defining slice through their history. It witnessed the rise and transcontinental activities of several major powers, including the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907) in China, Islamic states beginning with the Rashidun Caliphate (AD 632–61), the Byzantine empire from emperor Justinian (d. AD 565) to Basil II (d. AD 1025), and the Carolingian empire in Francia (AD 800–87). It also saw the spread of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam; large-scale migrations of peoples; and movement of objects through trade and other methods on an unprecedented scale.