Meeting between Asia and Europe: The Nara to Norwich Workshop in Istanbul
A reflection on the workshop hosted by colleagues in the Department of History and Asian Studies Centre, Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, in collaboration with SISJAC and funded by Toshiba International Foundation in spring 2023.
Lunar New Year: Down a Rabbit (Hare?) Hole
Each new year is associated with an animal in a 12-year cycle which is found across the eastern Silk Roads and 2023 is the year of the hare or rabbit. This recalls a design which is found across the Silk Roads in Buddhist, Christian and Islamic contexts, the so-called ‘Three Hares’.
On Buddhist stupas and visual abundance
Despite the great variation in Buddhist art and architecture across the centuries throughout Eurasia, many sites still to this day embrace an aesthetic based on rich décor, bright colours, and elaborate patterns.