Afghan art has spanned many centuries. One of the most famous kinds is the Gandhara art between the 1st and 7th century based on Greco-Buddhist art. Since the 1900s, the nation began to use Western techniques in art. Afghanistan's art was originally almost entirely done by men but recently women are entering the arts programs at Kabul University. Art is largely centered at the National Museum of Afghanistan, the National Gallery of Afghanistan and the National Archives of Afghanistan in Kabul. There are a number of art schools in the country. The Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul provides young people to learn contemporary paintings.
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Afghan art includes jewelry and gold pieces. A famous collection of this art is in the Bactrian Hoard, which was found in burial mounts in Sheberghan in Jowzjan Province, Afghanistan. Some of these artifacts were briefly displayed in the United States. [1] The artifacts are a mixture of coins, necklaces, bracelets, and other assorted gold jewelry. Some of these treasures date from the Bronze Age.
Art in Afghanistan includes sculpture as well, with ancient works such as the Buddhas of Bamiyan. These works were destroyed by the Taliban after they denouced the works as idols.
Greco-Buddhist art was prevalent in Afghanistan from the 4th Century BCE to around the 7th Century CE due to the Islamic Conquest. Many of these art forms have been found in the archaeological site of Hadda, Afghanistan.[2]
After the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan, Afghan art changed dramatically from previous Greco-Buddhist works, due to the adoption of Islam. Afghan local materials such as lapis lazuli were adapted for use in Islamic Art. Mosques built in Afghanistan and in the Arab world are built with elaborate tiling styles. Many of these styles were influenced from Chinese ceramics [3] Afghanistan served as a conduit for introduction to these Chinese ceramic styles and techniques due to its strategic location on the Silk Road.
Buz-baz is a form of musical puppetry found in Afghanistan. The puppeteer manipulates a markhor marionette while simultaneously playing a dambura.
