Sogdia
If one group truly embodied the spirit of the Silk Road it was the Sogdians. The Sogdians were an Iranian speaking people from Central Asia who were key traders along the Silk Road. And their civilization flourished from around the 6 Century BC until the 10th century CE. Its main cities were Buchara and Samarkhand. The Sogdians were known to mix with local people along the Silk Road. They connected empires. They translated languages. Introduced fashions and carried artistic motifs across continents. Sogdian art is a treasure of hybrid influences: Persian, Indian, Chinese and steppe nomadic. The modern interpretation of the enlarged Ikat pattern is a nod to this heritage.
