The artistic decorations and equipment of the ancient nomadic people who lived along the steppe from Eastern Europe to northern China will be on display May 17 to August 3 at the McClung Museum.
"Ancient Bronzes of the Asian Grasslands" is a traveling exhibit from the collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation in New York.
The exhibit is a glimpse into the horse-riding people who lived in this Eurasian region in the late second and first millennia B.C. The pieces include bronze belt buckles, weapons, clothing adornments, tools and horse gear. Their culture was influenced by the Silk Road, a trade route stretching across the area.
The artwork includes many images of animals such as stags, wild boars, birds of prey, tigers and bears. Animal symbols indicated tribal association, social rank and connections to the spirit world.
The curator of the exhibit, Trudy Kawami, will give a lecture on the exhibit at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 18.
Arthur Sackler’s foundation was established in 1965 to make his collection of more than 1,000 pieces accessible to the public.
McClung Museum is free and open to the public. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more info on the exhibit, call 974-2144 or visit the museum Web site.