At the Met: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
June 23, 2009–September 20, 2009

Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, 2nd floor

Ancient Afghanistan—standing at the crossroads of major trade routes—was home to one of the most complex civilizations of Asia, where multiple artistic influences were intermingled. The exhibition celebrates this rich heritage and commemorates the heroic rescue of the most precious of Afghanistan's archaeological treasures, thought to have all been destroyed. Among the highlights are spectacular objects unearthed from four sites: gold vessels from the Bronze Age hoard at Tepe Fullol; architectural elements and sculptures from the Hellenistic city of Ai Khanum; extraordinary Indian-style ivories, Roman glass, and other goods, traded along the Silk Road, from the first-second-century site at Begram; and spectacular turquoise-inlaid gold jewelry and luxury objects from the first-century nomadic tombs at Tillya Tepe.

The exhibition is made possible in part by Raymond and Beverly Sackler and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The exhibition is organized by the National Geographic Society and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

It is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.