Thumbnail: Complete horse saddle set (saddle body)
Special Exhibition: Echoes of Silk Road Traders: Samarkandʼs Relics and Eurasian Ties
Organizer：the National Museum of Ethnology
Special cooperation：Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation
Other Cooperation：Samarkand Archaeological Institute, Uzbekistan Cultural Heritage Agency; Samarkand State Museum of Cultural History; Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Japan; Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Nagoya; Hamanakonpouyuso Silk Road Museum; Otsuka Ohmi Ceramics Co., Ltd.; The Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka; Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); Japan–Uzbekistan Association (NPO); The Senri Foundation; Tenri University Sankokan Museum; Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum; Yokohama Museum of EurAsian Cultures; Ryukoku University Omiya Library; MIHO MUSEUM; Yukiwari-so Co., Ltd.; MASUI Co., Ltd.; Okamoto Corporation; KUTSUSHITA Research Institute, KUROSIMO Inc.; Nippondo Co., Ltd.
Support：Embassy of Japan in Uzbekistan; Nara Prefecture
Venue：The Special Exhibition Hall, National Museum of Ethnology
Nearest Station：Osaka Monoreil “Bampaku-kinen-koen”Station, “Koen-higashiguchi”Station
Dates：2026-03-19（Thu）～2026-06-02（Tue）
Closed：Wednesdays（Except 4/29、5/6）、4/30、5/7
Opening ：10：00～17：00（Entry is permitted until 16：30）
Admission Fee：Adults 1,200yen, College/ University students 600円,
senior high school and elementary and junior high school students Free
Contact Information： TEL 06-6876-2151（National Museum of Ethnology）
URL：https://www.minpaku.ac.jp/en/ai1ec_event/63274
More Information：Central Asia has played a vital role in the history of human civilization as a crossroads where the cultures of East and West, and of North and South—between farmers and nomads—met and interacted across the Eurasian continent. In particular, merchants were instrumental in the movement of people, goods, and ideas along the Silk Road. Without their activities, the history and culture of this region—from antiquity to the present—could not be fully told.
This special exhibition highlights “Merchants” as a key theme connecting the past and the present. Through archaeological artifacts excavated from ancient sites in Samarkand, as well as modern examples of embroidery, textiles, musical instruments, folk costumes, and materials related to religion and belief, the exhibition explores the activities of merchants and illustrates the rich cultural diversity, wide-ranging exchange, and vibrant trade that have characterized Central Asia through the ages.
