BARCELONA, Spain (October 11, 2001) - When most people think about Afghanistan, they think about the Taliban and terrorism. Afghanistan is an unknown - culturally, politically and socially. But an exhibit at the Caixa Foundation Cultural Center offers a glimpse into the country's rich artistic history, dating back thousands of years. "Afghanistan: A History of Millennia" unveils 3,000 years of Afghan art and archaeology with 230 objects on display, as well as films, photographs, books and music. The objects presented were diverse, offering Hindu, Greek, Roman and Chinese influences. Materials such as wood, ivory, clay, silver, bronze and glass were employed to make stoic busts of Buddhist saints, ornate human and animal figurines, hefty jewelry pieces like foot-long silver bracelets, arrow heads, ink wells and kitchenware. Clothing a century old resembles what Afghans wear today, but with the addition of bright patterns of fuchsia, orange and blue dyed into the cloth. Pierre Cambon, curator of the exhibit, said Kabul has a museum but that everything in it has been either destroyed or locked up. "It is uncertain what will happen with whatever remains there," he said. The exhibit runs through Dec. 28 in Barcelona before traveling to the National Museum of Asiatic Art in Paris, Feb. 28 to May 29 (AP). |
