' Of Grass and Gold ' at Mingei International Museum

Tuesday, 15 August 2006 09:42

San Diego, CA - Opening October 21 of this year is the exhibition OF GRASS AND GOLD – Nomads of Kazakhstan.  One of the five stans – emerging nations of Central Asia that became independent from the former Soviet Union at the end of 1991, Kazakhstan plays a vital role in increasing international awareness of this huge and important region of the world.

A crossroads for Islam, Christianity and Buddhism, the historical backdrop for domestication of the horse and caravan trade and development of the Great Silk Route, this is the land of Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Marco Polo’s explorations into the East and the home of the Scythians – fierce, horse-riding nomads feared by Greeks, Chinese and Persians alike.

The Foundation for International Arts and Education in Washington, D.C. is collaborating with the Government of Kazakhstan and Mingei International Museum in bringing this great history to life and connecting it with present day Kazakhstan.

Focusing on a series of important archeological discoveries, including those in 1998-1999 at the frozen burial site of Berel, the exhibition will present precious gold, silver and bronze artifacts fashioned into small animal forms – panthers, tigers, deer, griffins, ibex, mountain sheep and horses and a world of horsemen, burial cults, carpets and caravans.  The exhibition will combine these beautiful art objects with the story of their recovery, providing an overview of the history and culture of Kazakhstan and exploring the mythology and craftsmanship of the peoples of the Steppes.

Selected from major museum collections in Kazakhstan, the art objects are being shown in the United States of America for the first time.  Mingei International’s Founding President and Director Emerita Martha Longenecker is designing the installation of this exhibition that will travel in this country following its premiere at Mingei International Museum.