Cyrus Cylinder on display at Asian Art Museum [Mark Pyruz, 9/1/13]
This writer took the opportunity afforded by the Labor Day holiday to visit the Asian Art Museum (free admission the first Sunday of every month) to view the celebrated Cyrus cylinder.
There was a long line to gain entrance to the exhibit room, where other artifacts from Achaemenid Persia were also on display. The wait gave me to time to actually read a translation of the cylinder, provided by a thoughtful usher. I must admit, in all candidness, I did not find this cylinder text to render itself as a "human rights charter." Rather, it reads more like a high-minded justification for the use of military force and foreign occupation, the likes of which we're only too familiar with during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Still, the historical artifacts and cylinder provided a wonder to behold. I can truly state seeing the exhibit was a chance of a lifetime.
The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco runs until September 22, 2013.
3 comments:
I realize some folks might get their feelings hurt by my take on the Cyrus cylinder text but read it and judge for yourselves:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/articles/c/cyrus_cylinder_-_translation.aspx
We love you Cyrus the great! Holy man in Iran.
Don't worry there is enough venom and venous vendetta preached in the quran for the likes of you to believe in.People like you will never accept Cyrus the Great the founder of Iran because you represent the Tazi occupying element which is an anti-Iran creed and a blight on our national character.
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