Abstract
Clay-based sculptures are shown for the first time in dense displays in two galleries of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (AKu) in Berlin’s new Humboldt Forum. These artefacts were brought to Germany by the Turfan Expeditions (1902–14)1 from Buddhist nodes along the ancient northern route around the Taklamakan desert (today’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). Grouped according to their archaeological sites, it is striking to note that almost identical heads and body shapes occur along the various oases, some of which are hundreds of kilometres apart. In this context, their variations can be considered as a phenomenon of modular production. This can be impressively illustrated in the Buddhist architectural layout along the edges of the lowlands of the Tarim Basin through the materials and production techniques of these sculptures. Although the compositions were limited by the naturally occurring materials, the modular character of their production made it possible to create an extensive variety in terms of details. In this pilot case study, two objects are selected to illustrate this modular system.
The two artefacts are both from Karashahr (Chinese: Yanqi 焉耆) from the collections of the AKu and the British Museum (BM), namely a mould made of gypsum (Inv. No. III 7987) and a head made of clay (Inv. No. MAS.1094).