Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c16.s1.t4.4

v2.c16.s1.t4.4

Central Asian Gallery stands out in quality as well as quantity. Many of its collections are from Turpan of Xinjiang and Dunhuang of Gansu. It is a miracle that some silk drawings of Tang Dynasty (7^th to 10^th centuries CE), after more than a thousand years of wind and rain, are still well-preserved. Some paintings are illegible, some damaged and some still intact. There are three drawings of Fuxi and Nuwa with a human head and snake body and paintings and statues of Buddha. Some might not have been painted by professionals but they still have an important cultural and historical value. These Chinese works of art were collected by Sir Aurel Stein, during his three expeditions to Central Asia.