Afghanistan's Hidden Treasures in Melbourne

 We visited the Melbourne Afghanistan exhibition and were very impressed with the quality of the artifacts on view. The workmanship of ivory, glass, and bronze of Indian Persian and Greek influences was breathtaking, as was the sheer quantity of gold on display. With so much destruction and looting in that recently benighted land, many cheers for the people who saved these treasures from the raiders and destroyers.

A quibble-we felt the Museum put the exhibition into an inadequate space and did not provide appropriate flow lines for the crowds. After we stood in a queue for one exhibit for quite while one of the attendants pointed out that we could scoot in the back of the flow and cut in. So we did, but felt guilty... Moreover we encountered some selfish behaviour.  One blonde was being given a private tour by an imposing apparent Afghani. They stood close in front of each exhibit and entirely prevented the rest of the crowd from looking until moved on by request. Another very large lady hugged each exhibit case in turn while making copious notes on an outsize clueboard. The magnificence of the display and the story of its rescue from marauders deserved better from the Museum.
(Museum website images)