Preservation of Endangered Moveable Cultural Assets of Gandhara Art

USA Contribution for Preservation of Endangered Moveable Cultural Assets

In 2004, UNESCO initiated a programme for the Preservation of Endangered Moveable Cultural Assets and Museum Development, with Special funds from USA. The objectives of this programmme were stated in a proposal by the Director-General of UNESCO to the General Conference in 2003. The document explains that, “the programme focuses on sites and collections in danger through the preservation of otherwise endangered cultural objects and artifacts. It seeks to make them accessible to local population as elements of their tangible cultural heritage. In addition, the proposed activities will increase the number of catalogued objects, so that they can be better protected against theft….Action will focus on the following main area: preservation of moveable heritage, with special emphasis on study and publication, inventories, capacity-building and training of staff in protecting cultural property and assets, museology and conservation, as well as manuscripts.”

The proposal to the General Conference also mentions that the programme activities will consist of the elaboration of national inventories and databases; improvement in museology and conservation; and building of capacities and training of staff for the protection of cultural property.

In line with these directives and in consultation with the Scientific Adviser on the project, UNESCO Islamabad is drafting a project document, “Preservation of the Endangered Buddhist Gandhara Art of Pakistan”.

Preservation of Endangered Moveable Cultural Assets of Gandhara Art

Historical background
Pakistan has inherited a wealth of rich and diverse cultural heritage – a legacy of successive civilizations which flourished in the region over the centuries. Gandhara, the cradle of Buddhist Civilization, which gave birth to the famous Gandhara Art, is first mentioned in the Rig-Veda, the religious book of Aryans. It remained one of the provinces of the Achaemenian Empire as per Darius inscription of the 6th century BC. Pushkalavati (Balahisar-Charsadda in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan) was its first capital from the 6th century BC to 1st century AD, which was invaded in 327 BC by Alexander the Great. Later, Gandhara was ruled by Mauryans, Indo-Greeks, Scythians and Parthians rulers. The Kushanas established their capital at Pushapura or Peshawar in the 1st century AD and King Kanishka built a stupa and monastery at Shah-Ji-ki-Dheri, near Ganj Gate Peshawar. In the 7th century AD, the Shahi Dynasties of Kabul and Gandhara established capital of Gandhara at Hund, which remained their capital till the invasions of Ghaznavids in 998 AD, thus ending the rule of Gandhara after about 1600 years.

Geographically, the Gandhara region spreads over the area to the west of River Indus and north of Kabul River. It includes the valleys of Peshawar, Swat, Dir and Bajaur and extends eastwards to the Taxila Valley in the Punjab and westwards to Hadda and Bamiyan in Afghanistan.

It was during the time of the Kushan rulers that the Buddhist Art developed in the form of Mahayana Buddhism at Gandhara and travelled towards China, Korea and Japan. The Chinese pilgrims of the 5th-7th century AD talked about the great glory and thousands of stupas and monasteries, which they visited in Gandhara. Taxila, though not geographically included in Gandhara, was an extension of Gandhara Art and a great teaching center of Buddhism.
Gandhara Art, a contribution of the inhabitants of Gandhara, shows influences from the main land Indians, Greeks, Romans and Persian artists. The art appeared in this region in the 1st century BC, strengthened in the 1st century AD, flourished till 5th century and lingered on till 8th century. The art died due to the invasions of Huns (5th century AD), Turk and Hindu Shahis (6th~10th century AD) and Muslims (10th~11th century AD).

The purpose of this art was the propagation of Buddhism through the images carved and made in stone, stucco, terracotta and bronze, mostly enshrined in the stupas and monasteries throughout Gandhara. Thousands of such stupas were mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim, Hiuen Tsang, who visited Gandhara in the early 7th century AD, only few of which have been excavated so-far. The main focus of the art was Buddha’s life stories and individual images; his previous birth stories (Jatakas) and future Buddhas.

Project justification
With the cooperation of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of NWFP, UNESCO Islamabad conducted a feasibility study of the Gandharan Collection in Pakistan, during January – March 2005. Inspection of the objects, discussions and consultations with Directors and Curators of the museums of Karachi, Lahore, Taxila, Peshawar, Mardan, Chakdara and Swat brought to the fore the following issues:

• Continuous excavations and explorations are leading to a rapid increase in the collection, without proper arrangements for their storage and display.
• The conditions of the stores are by and large pathetic, and all objects in the museums are threatened by natural decay caused by environmental conditions, improper handling, theft and natural disasters such as earthquakes.
• There is no proper mechanism/system for conservation of objects, due to lack of expertise as well as human and financial resources.

The feasibility report concluded that the most endangered Gandhara objects were the stucco, terracotta and schist stone sculptures and immediate steps need to be taken for the preservation of these and other collections housed in the same institutions.

Project Objectives

a)   registration of the objects in a standardized inventory system;
b)   establishment of proper conservation conditions of the objects on display and in reserves.

Scope:  
The scope of the project focused on registration and conservation of Gandhara collections in: the Peshawar Museum and its storage facilities; the SSAQ Museum Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of Peshawar; and the Swat Museum and its storage facilities in Saidu Sharif.

A.  Registration

i)    Museums adopted a common inventory system
ii)   Inventory teams identified in each participating museum
iii)  Inventory teams trained
iv)  The work of inventorying and registration of Gandhara collections undertaken.

B.  Conservation

i)    Procedures for conservation and risk mitigation were integrated into the registration and storage reorganization processes in order to avoid mechanical damage, catastrophic losses from natural disasters and theft.

C.  Reorganization of Storage

i)    Teams for storage reorganization are to be identified in each of the participating museums
ii)   Teams for storage reorganization are to be trained
iii)   Plans and schedules for adapting the spaces are to be created.

• Plans are to be implemented

 
(This activity was to be carried out by ICCROM, but was delayed due to unforeseen problems in the country. It is now expected to take place in the first half of year 2008).

Strategy:

• A process of consultation, consensus-building and coordination among different governing authorities, experts and other stakeholders to achieve the objectives.
• Training and capacity-building of local staff.
• Written guidelines on methods/techniques, appropriate to the local conditions and resources.

Related documents:

Conservation assessment report
Consultant’s report
Report on experts meeting