12/11/2006
Improbably, given the terrible destruction in Afghanistan over two decades of war and upheaval, the country’s most precious treasures — gold ornaments from a first-century Bactrian hoard and ivory carvings from the central city of Begram — emerged intact from a vault in the presidential palace in Kabul in 2003.
This week, 228 masterpieces go on display at the Musee Guimet in Paris. Beautiful and sometimes whimsical, the objects tell the story of a rich civilization that sprang up along the Silk Road, the trade route between Europe and China. They also tell the story of how Afghanistan managed, against heavy odds, to preserve an important part of its heritage.
“Afghanistan: Refound Treasures,” runs through April 30 at the Musee Guimet, 6, Place d’Iena, Paris, +33-1-5652-5300,