說起“貴霜帝國(guó)”，許多人可能會(huì)一臉茫然：這是哪里？什么年代的？……
貴霜帝國(guó)（Kushan Empire），古國(guó)，國(guó)祚始自公元55年，425年亡。127年-230年為其巔峰時(shí)期。疆域從今日的塔吉克綿延至里海、阿富汗及印度河流域。
貴霜帝國(guó)在迦膩色伽一世和其繼承者統(tǒng)治之下達(dá)至鼎盛，擁有人口五百萬，士兵二十多萬，被認(rèn)為是當(dāng)時(shí)歐亞四大強(qiáng)國(guó)之一，與漢朝、羅馬、安息并列。
（via百度百科）
從時(shí)間上來看，貴霜帝國(guó)和中國(guó)的漢朝差不多，雙方并存過很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間。這個(gè)古代中亞地區(qū)的強(qiáng)國(guó)，也曾有過許許多多令人驚心動(dòng)魄的傳奇……
這個(gè)遙遠(yuǎn)的國(guó)度，和咱們的絲綢之路有何種緣分？和當(dāng)下的中國(guó)有什么聯(lián)系？它有哪些故事值得我們聆聽？
身在魔都又喜歡逛博物館的小伙伴們有福啦！上海博物館的重磅臨展，將帶你走進(jìn)貴霜王朝的世界——
時(shí)間：2017.12.29-2018.3.18
地點(diǎn)：上海博物館第三站廳
Kushan Dynasty
Shanghai Museum recently organized an exhibition titled Crossroads: The Beliefs and Arts of Kushan Dynasty featuring 39 fine distinctive cultural relics from Shanghai Museum, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, Lüshun Museum and Hotan Museum.
As an import trade route linking Asia and Europe, the ancient Silk Road played a major role in promoting economic and trade relations between countries in the Euro-Asian continent. Kushan, which included Central Asia and parts of South Asia, spanned the 1st to 4th centuries, one of the four biggest Asian empires.
A hub along the ancient Silk Road network, Kushan occupied a vital geographical place between China's Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220), the Parthian Empire of ancient Iran and Iraq, ancient Rome and ancient India. Thus, whether Kushan was inclusive or exclusive to foreign cultures and communication determined the fate of the Silk Road.
Eventually transforming itself into an open and inclusive spirit, Kushan's acceptance of various cultures and beliefs from all peripheral regions not only promoted cultural exchange between East and West but also helped populate Kushan with ethnically diverse communities.
'Through this exhibition we want to reveal the most important cultural spirit of the Silk Road, a spirit of openness and inclusiveness,' Yang Zhigang, director of Shanghai Museum, said at the event.
Continuous cultural integration
The exhibition revolves around three themes of the Kushan Dynasty: 'Power of Monarch,' 'Faith and Culture,' and 'Economy and Lifestyle.'
A highlight from 'Power of Monarch' is the display of 12 ancient coins from the Kushan Dynasty, which reveals the continuous cultural integration of the empire with other regions.
The change in patterns forged on each coin, from the ancient Greek-Roman style (side profile of a king) to the front-facing Kushan style, demonstrates the inclusive attitude of Kushan toward foreign cultures and religions, according to Wang Yue, a vice research fellow at Shanghai Museum and the curator of the exhibition.
'As a mirror of credibility and stability, a country usually will not alter the look of its currency. However, dramatic changes took place on Kushan coins, which mirrored the empire's flexibility,' Wang said.
Interestingly, on one coin, one side features the profile of a Kushan king wearing a round Kushan-style crown with an Iranian robe. The other side of the coin features a bull and Shiva, the Hindu god.
Belt and Road themes
The all-inclusive atmosphere of the Kushan Dynasty is also portrayed in its architecture. When the Kushans ruled this region, they integrated architectural styles from various countries.
One building component collected by Lüshun Museum shows the fusion of Buddhism from India and art from Greek, with the Buddha sitting in the center of a pavilion decorated by the Corinthian order, which is usually only seen in ancient Greek and Roman architecture.
'This distinctive style offered a better way for people to understand the meaning of Buddhism and played an important role in the spread of Buddhism to China,' said Wang.
According to Yang, the director of Shanghai Museum, the museum has paid close attention to Belt and Road-themed exhibitions and will continue to explore the cultural communication and exchange that contributed to the ancient Silk Road.
原文：Qi Xijia
文案：lanlan
圖：上海博物館、網(wǎng)絡(luò)
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