2010年08月05日

The Silk Road and Nara

by Seiji Tanaka
presented & translated by Chiyoko Sudo

In Nara Prefecture the Silk Road Exhibition was held in 1988 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the formation of Nara Prefecture. The English name of “Silk Road” came from the German word “Seidenstrasse”, -so named by the 19th century German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen11.
Western culture, originating in Rome, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries met and mingled with Oriental culture, originating in China, on this main Asian inland route.
In those days Chinese silk, a highly prized commodity in western countries, was transported along this route, thus giving rise to the name “Silk Road”. Today the Silk Road is the name given to the ancient trading routes that traverse the Eurasian Continent.
The traded products transported along these routes were very valuable treasures such as various kinds of silk fabrics, glass, ceramics, porcelain, gold and silver wares, jewelry of ivory, coral, and pearl, dyed goods, weapons, harness, musical instruments, court dance articles, paintings, sculptures, art and craft objects, spices, medicines, etc. Knowledge of medical treatment, civil engineering, architecture, and various technologies were also traded. Faith, religion, and various philosophies were also exchanged as many different races interacted. Splendid and exotic East Asian Culture was brought to Japan over a period of about 200 years by the envoys who visited China during the Sui and Tang Dynasty.
Take Buddhism for example. After the Buddha passed away, believers worshipped stones on which were carved a design of Buddha’s foot prints, or a bo tree. As the wave of Hellenism reached Gandhara (in north west of Pakistan), it influenced the sculpture techniques of Buddhist statues.
And the custom of worshipping Buddhist statues was transmitted from Persia (south west of Iran)
to China where Buddhism flourished, and so through Korea to Japan.
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