Artifact exhibition in Chengdu marks enduring charms of Silk Road

The Lasting Charm of Cultural Relics, an ongoing exhibition at Sichuan Museum, in Chengdu, examines the long-standing influence of the exchanges between different civilizations in the East and the West which were boosted by the ancient Silk Road.

The exhibition through March 20 uses nearly 300 artifacts to reflect the diversity and dynamics of these cultures. The objects on display are largely from the collection of Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum, which was built by Ikuo Hirayama, the late Japanese painter and collector of antiquities related to the Silk Road. There are also collections from Sichuan Museum, Shaanxi History Museum in Xi'an and Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, among others.

A bull-head pottery wine cup dated to the fourth century BC is among the highlights on show. Found in southern Italy, its body was painted with a scenario from Greek mythology in which Zeus transforms himself into the form of a swan and attempts to seduce Leda.

A worship of bulls is also reflected on a bull pottery dated between 1,200 and 800 BC on show. The object discovered in West Asia is supposed to be a wine holder once used at ceremonies.

Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202101/28/WS60121797a31024ad0baa5aa9_1.html