The British Museum’s vibrant exhibition highlights how closely interlinked Asia, Europe and Africa were culturally through vital trade routes.
Silk roads has such a romantic quality about it doesn’t it? But far from just being about silk, this expansive exhibition at the British Museum reveals just how extensive these routes were and the variety objects and goods that were transported was wide and varied.
From what has been described as earliest known group of chess pieces in the world to murals and everything in between, this exhibition covers it all and the number of objects on display tracing the journeys is immense and can be slightly overwhelming.
The whole vibe of the exhibition is one of positivity, showing just how different countries back in the Middle Ages traded an extraordinary amount of objects which helped in turn develop and enrich different cultures across continents.
Perhaps at times a little text heavy and some of the objects selected don’t seem to particularly stand out, the exhibition will leave you feeling a little bit more in knowledge about the time and journeys that traders would have made and never feels dry.
Taking us from Asia to North Western Europe, Silk Roads has been designed to make you feel like that you are going on these routes yourself – thanks to calming backdrops and soundtrack in the background to give it an adventurous feel that keeps you immersed. Elsewhere, there are ‘sniffing stations’ for scents such as incense and musk and audio accounts to add personality to the experience – including one of St Findan who was captured not once, but twice, by Viking slave traders.
The variety of objects on display is impressive and you do want to linger as much as possible over them but there is so much to see that it almost feels too much. By the end you are potentially feeling exhausted.
But there are still plenty of highlights including one of the earliest Qurans or dazzling pieces of jewellery including a necklace with jade in it for example. The amount of history on display is incredible and it is clear that the curators have put a lot of time and thought into covering this subject.
Perhaps it would take more than one visit in order to fully understand the extent of what is being told here but it still feels like a true celebration of how connected cultures across the world can be. It feels like a timely reminder of this given what is going on in the world at the moment.
Silk Roads is a vibrant and diverse exhibition that will appeal to anyone who has a love of culture.
By Emma Clarendon
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐