THE SILK ROAD with Tonia Eckfeld

Transmitting ideas and information is a subtext of trade. For some seventeen centuries, the Silk Road was the trade route between China, Eurasia and the Mediterranean. Archaeological discoveries have revealed much about the social life of both the traders and the Silk Road communities.

Such discoveries have also revealed objects that bring to life the multi-cultural character of China and the impact of the Silk Road on the development of decorative arts. Associate Professor and Principal Fellow at Melbourne University, Dr Tonia Eckfeld is an expert in Chinese art of the Tang period, when trade along the Silk Road was at its peak.