Exhibition organised by the Guimet museum of Asian arts and the National Art and Exhibition Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn.
The Paris exhibition commissioned by Pierre Cambon, head curator of the Guimet museum, replicates, in a modified form, the exhibition designed by Professor Michel Jansen and Doctor Christian Luczanits, presented under the name Gandhara. The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan Legends, monasteries, and Paradise

The Gandhara is a former kingdom with a Hellenistic influence which spanned the North West provinces of today’s Pakistan. This civilisation contemporaneous with the Romans in the west and the Chinese Hans in the east, peaked between the 1st and 3rd century AD, in the era of the successors of Alexander the Great and the Kushan Empire.

A land of encounters, a land of Buddhism, invasions and exchanges, but also a land of ancient culture and diversities, Gandhara witnessed the birth and development of a brilliant civilisation combining Greek influences, resulting from the conquests of Alexander the Great, and Persian and Indian inspirations.

In this exhibition, statuettes or statues of Buddha and revered deities (bodhisattva, etc.), low reliefs of temples and stupas, will appear alongside terracotta and stucco items from monasteries or palaces.

Gandharan art bridges the gap between continents, between western and eastern cultures, offering a multiplicity of artistic forms which invite us to discover a world where beauty and humanity prevail.

Practical information

Access to the Guimet Museum: 6, place d’Iéna- 75116 Paris Tel.: +33 (0)1 56 52 53 00 Metro: Iéna-Boissière - RER C: Pont de l’Alma Buses: 22, 30, 32, 63, 82

Guimet Museum’s opening hours: Open every day except Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Ticket office closes at 5:30 p.m., rooms close at 5:45 p.m. Closed on 25 December and 1st January. Free audio guides.

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Admission
Full rate exhibition: €8 – reduced rate: €6 Combined exhibition and permanent collections ticket: €9.50 full rate; €7 reduced rate.
Permanent collections: museum admission: €7.50 full rate; €5.50 reduced rate – Under 26: free (conditions apply)

 Buy your ticket with Fnac

By phone : 0892 684 694 (0,34 € TTC/MN)
In every stores Fnac, réseau Carrefour and Super U

 Buy your ticket with Ticketnet

In every stores Virgin Mégastore, Auchan and Galeries Lafayette

President of the Guimet Museum: Jacques Giès
Commissioner: Pierre Cambon, Head Curator – Guimet Museum

Design: Massimo Quendolo, qualified architect

Extras

 Conference organised on Friday 28 May at 2:30 p.m. (Grand salon of the Buddhist Pantheon): When an “Indo-Greek” king consults a Buddhist wise man by Danièle Masset.
 Gandharan art discovery tours in the permanent collections of the Guimet Museum (1hr) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday 16, 23 and 30 April; 28 May; 4 and 11 June;
 Guided tour of the exhibition, 1½hrs: every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
For more information…

 In the auditorium: documentaries, films, concerts and conferences relating to the exhibition.
For more information…

Publications

 Album of the exhibition: Pakistan – A land of encounters – 1st - 6th centuries. Gandharan arts; Rmn / Guimet Museum pub.; publication edited by Pierre Cambon 22 x 28 cm; 160 p.; 150 colour illustrations; Hardbound; RRP: approximately €35
 Special issue of Connaissance des arts – price: €9
 Special issue of Art Absolument – price: €5

The Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn :

We wish to thank the following for their generous loans: The government of Pakistan, department of Archaeology and Museums, Islamabad; Islamabad Museum, Islamabad, Pakistan; Taxila Museum, Taxila, Pakistan; National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan; Swat Museum, Saidu Sharif, Pakistan; Lahore Museum, Lahore, Pakistan; Peshawar Museum, Peshawar, as well as the Dir Museum, Chakdara, Pakistan; the SSAQ Museum of archaeology and ethnology of the university of Peshawar, Pakistan
Travelling exhibition: From 21 November 2008 to 15 March 2009 at the National Art and Exhibition Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany, Bonn; from 9 April to 10 August 2009 at the Martin-Gropius Bau, Berlin; from 6 September 2009 to 3 January 2010 at the Rietberg Museum, Zurich

With :

 Terre Entière, cultural tour operator

Media partnerships :

 Evene.fr

 Paris Match

 Arts Programme

 BeauxArts magazine

 Paris Première

 France culture