【Summary】
Sogdiana was a historical region of Central Asia where a genuine and unique civilizations developed between the sixth century BCE and the eighth century CE. Sogdiana corresponds to modern central Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan in ex-Soviet Central Asia. Sogdians spoke an eastern Iranian language and worshipped deities related to modern Zoroastrianism.
Between the fifth and the eighth centuries CE, Sogdians started migrating in big number along the so-called "Silk Road" caravan trade network. They had tight relations with pre-Sui and pre-Tang Chinese courts where they worked as military or civil officers. Chinese archaeologists were able to excavate some tombs that belonged to powerful Sogdians on a big area of modern norther China with special focus on the area of ancient Chang'an (modern Xi'an). The activity of archaeologists and art historians gave as a result the re-discovery of an enigmatic but highly refined civilization that once dominated the trade in the entire Eurasian continent for several centuries.
This lecture discusses some aspects of Sogdian mural paintings and possible identifications of secular and religious scenes. Most of the mural paintings presented in this lecture concerns the archaeological site of Penjikent that restituted some of the most interesting specimens of all Sogdian artistic production.
(Source: wikimedia commons)
【Biography - Matteo Compareti】
Prof. Compareti was graduated in Oriental Languages and Literature from the University of Venice “Ca’ Foscari” (1999) and defended his PhD in Iranian Studies at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” (2005). His main field of investigation is the study of the iconography of the Zoroastrian deities of Persia and Central Asia in the pre-Islamic era. He has held teaching courses in the United States of America (University of California, Berkeley) and in the People’s Republic of China (Renmin University of China, Beijing and Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an). Among his most relevant publications, there are: Samarkand The Center of the World: Proposals for the Identification of the Afrāsyāb Paintings and The Elusive Persian Phoenix: Simurgh and Pseudo-Simurgh in Iranian Art. He is at present affiliated to the University of Venice “Ca’ Foscari” and Capital Normal University, Beijing.
【Information】
Topic: Sogdiana, its mural paintings and religious art: A forgotten civilization from pre-Islamic Central Asia (The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series)
Speaker: Matteo Compareti
Date: Sunday, 08th September, 2024
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Venue: Auditorium, Macao Museum of Art
Language: English (with consecutive interpretation into Mandarin)
Admission fee: Free
Enquiry: 8399 6210(during office hours)
【Registration】
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Interested parties can register through the “Activity Registration” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web). Non-Macao One users please register through the link(activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/visitor/activity-list-web) using a computer.
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Registration date: 2024/7/4 10:00 - 8/28 23:59
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In the event of an oversubscription, participants will be selected by lottery, with each participant having a maximum of one opportunity to be selected.
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If the number of registrants in the workshops exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected by drawing lots. Selected participants will be notified by SMS.
【Notes】
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In the event of an oversubscription, participants will be selected by drawing lots. Those who are selected will receive a SMS notification from the organizer and should present the SMS for getting admission when joining the activity. Those who are not selected will not be notified;
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There will be no assigned seating at the activity venue. Seats are available on a first-come first-served basis. Participants are advised to arrive 10 minutes early before the activity starts. If you are late for more than 10 minutes, you will automatically forfeit your right to participate in the activity;
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Please switch off your mobile phone and alarm devices during the activity. Eating is also strictly prohibited. Audio or video recording without permission is not allowed, as it may disrupt the activity and disturb other participants;
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Special arrangements for the activity in adverse weather conditions: If the Black Rainstorm Warning or Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above is hoisted two hours before the scheduled start time, the activity will be cancelled. Please pay close attention to the announcements on the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s website and Facebook page;
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In case of any dispute, the Cultural Affairs Bureau reserves the right of interpretation and making final decision.