Secrets of the Silk Road at the Penn Museum

Now through March 28 (some objects only on view until March 15 -- see below)

Wow! I have to say that Edward Rothstein's write up about "Secrets of the Silk Road" at the Penn Museum left me breathless and ready to book a ticket to the City of Brotherly Love. The exhibit, a collection of objects from China illustrating the importance of the Silk Road and cross-Asian trade over multiple-millennia, sounds both exciting and inspiring.

As Rothstein writes, "Most of these astonishing artifacts should have ceased to exist long ago. Exposed to breath and light, you can imagine them disintegrating into powdery mist: silk pillows and robes, thin brocades of cloth with floral patterns and rich colors, woven baskets, felt hats, a braided fried dough twist, feathers from caps and arrows. Ephemera, surely: these are not lasting things of stone, bone and gold, and the newest are at least 1,000 years old."

So, those of you who are lucky enough to be near Philadelphia in the next few weeks should make your way to the Penn Museum post haste! Unfortunately, due to a "miscommunication" with the Chinese government, the exhibit will only run in its entirety through March 15. Then two mummies will be removed, and the remainder of the exhibit will run through March 28.

Make thy way to the Penn Museum for this incredible exhibit -- and be sure to let us know what you think of it, too!

Penn Museum

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-4000
Website (for hours and show dates): http://www.penn.museum/

Link Love:

ARTS
Another Stop on a Long, Improbable JourneyBy EDWARD ROTHSTEINPublished: February 20, 2011
What astonishes in the exhibition “Secrets of the Silk Road” at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia is that its ephemeral artifacts — brocaded cloth, felt hats, even fried dough — still exist.