Kushan Tsar Vasudeva

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES OF TAJIKISTAN.

 

"…golden coin of Kushan tsar Vasudeva (4th century AD)…found in 1956."

 

 

It was created in 1934 on the round of the Exhibition of National

Economy Achievements and expeditionary research of Tajik base of the

Academy of Sciences of the USSR. At that time there were only 530

exhibits in this museum. Nowadays there are more than 50 thousand of

them. These exhibits are archaeological and ethnographic collections

of the museum among which there are ceramics, metal works, weapons,

gold and silver wear, numismatics, manuscripts, sculpture, household

goods, embroidery etc.

Among collections of the museum a large place is taken by unique

memorials of fine art and national culture of Tajikistan. Chronology

of the museum collections embraces the period from bronze epoch , IV

millennium before Christ, to the beginning of the XX century.

Numismatics collection consists of ancient treasures, single and

casual fins of coins. In the coin collection the most unique coins

are Samanid coins made of silver and copper with Kufia inscriptions

(IX cent.), golden coin of Kushan tsar Vasudeva (IV cent. Anno

Domini) occasionally found in 1956, and Bukhara silver coin with

Sogda inscriptions (V-VI cent Anno Domini).

Collections of domestic crockery- cups, jugs, different vessels,

glass and stone wear, weapon fragments. These items descend from the

territory of Sogd (basins of Zeravshan and Kashkadarya rivers ) and

they are referred to the middle of I millennium before Christ. They

were found when excavating a site of ancient settlement, situated

near to modern Penjikent.

Collection of the items of material culture from Sogdian castle on

the mountain Mug(VIII cent Anno Domini) in the upper reaches of

Zeravshan is of great interest. These items were found by the

expedition of professor Freiman in 1933.

When the distribution of Islam in Central Asia that has begun at the

beginning of the IX century, new and peculiar culture appeared and

the ways of production of different handicraft items were changed.

Ornamental decorativeness predominates not only in handicrafts, but

also in architecture, where painting, wood and gandge(central asian

name of astringent material obtained through kilning of stones, which

contains gypsum and clay; it is used as plastering, as the base for

carving and also as a material for sculpture) carving. One of the

most famous monuments of this epoch is Iskondarsky mekhrab(XI-XII

century Anno Domini) which is known all over the world. It was found

by professor Andreyev in Iskodar settlement in 1925. This mekhrab (a

bay with lancet end at the wall of the mosque which is directed to

the Mekka ) is made of wood without any nail or glue, by means of

fitting the details. It consists of 300 details and over 100

ornamental moments. We can find a Kufia inscription on it. This

inscription had not been interpreted up to 2000. Then it was

interpreted by Sharipov A. This inscription appeared to be a fragment

of speech of prophet Mukhammed.It is interesting to mention that

mekhrab has elements of Zoroastriisky cult of ancient Tajiks, such as

cross and a circle with hemisphere which symbolize the sun since

ancient times.

Collection of coroplastics of Sogd that includes small terracotta art

articles(statuettes which describe human beings and animals) is not

great but it reflects religious ideas of the Tajik population in the

middle of the I millennium before Christ.

Besides regular exhibition, many other showings are held in our

museum. In winter, 2001, there was a painting exhibition of the works

of Tajik artists. This exhibition was devoted to the 10th anniversary

of the independence of the Republic of Tajikistan. Such Tajik artists

as Negmatzoda F., Safarov R., Odinayev S and others took part in this

exhibition.

 

 

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