How the Silk Road Opened

Thursday, June 26
1:00–3:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Lily Birmingham, San Diego Museum of Art Docent and AAC Study Group Chair
The San Diego Museum of Art
Board Room

Join the Asian Arts Council to discover the driving forces behind the network of land routes connecting China with the West. The presentation will focus on how the ancient land route was opened; who moved valuable Chinese silk, spices, and jade to the West; and how China received powerful horses, gold, silver, ivory, and glass products. Roman wealth and power pushed the Silk Road to flourish while the Chinese military controlled the corridors to central Asia, and the commercial acumen of the Central Asians connected the East and West. 

Speaker Bio: Lily Birmingham has been a docent at The San Diego Museum of Art since 2011 and worked as the docent training chair for four years to plan and execute the docent training program. A longtime member of the Asian Arts Council, Lily has served as AAC chair and is the current Study Group chair. She has a BS in civil engineering, and an MS in both structural engineering and technical management. Lily started her career as an aerospace engineer and retired as Program Manager from Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Save your spot. Please note, this is an in-person event and includes a hosted tea reception following the lecture.

Sponsored by the Asian Arts Council.

Featured: Camels, China, 8th century. Earthenware. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Helen M. Towle Bequest, 1941.84.a and 1941.84.b.