The Stein Collection: an introduction
Find out more about this incredible collection
The Stein Collection
The V&A Stein Collection, on loan from the Government of India, includes nearly 600 textile fragments and over 70 ceramic and Buddhist objects. These rare objects, dating between 200 BC and 1200 AD, were recovered at the beginning of the 20th century by Hungarian-born, British archaeologist, Sir Marc Aurel Stein from The Silk Road – an ancient network of trade routes across Central Asia that connected the East and West.
Collection highlights
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Fragments of Artificial flowers, 300 - 400 AD, Miran, China, cotton and silk with wooden pegs -
Horse head-shaped fragment, 200 – 500 AD, Xinjiang, China, terracotta -
Relief fragment, about 500 AD, Khadalik, China, moulded stucco -
Fragment of wooden panel, about 500 AD, Khadalik, China, painted wood -
Shoe, 200 – 400 AD, The Limes Watchtowers, plant fibre -
Textile fragments, 600 – 900 AD, Dunhuang, China, silk damask -
Head fragment, 200 – 500 AD, Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu, terracotta -
Textile fragment, 700 AD, Dunhuang, China, embroidered silk -
Rope, 200 – 400 AD, Loulan, China, leather and grass -
Head of a Bodhisattva, 500 – 600 AD, Xinjiang, China, moulded stucco -
Ceramic fragment, 1000 – 1100 AD, Xinjiang, China, incised stoneware -
Textile fragment, 600 – 800 AD, Dunhuang, China, pattern woven silk -
Porcelain fragment, 1368 – 1644, Jingdezhen, China -
Canopy, 600 – 800 AD, Dunhuang, China, plain woven hemp -
Banner, 600 – 900 AD, Dunhuang, China, pattern and plain woven silk, wood and paint
Features
Header image: Fragments of artificial flowers, 300 – 400 AD, Miran, China. Museum no. LOAN:STEIN.628. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London