Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak embroidery

This video is Conserving Vulture Peak | Episode 2: Curatorial introduction from The British Museum. Jane Portal, Keeper of the Department of Asia at the British Museum, explains the history and rediscovery of the Vulture Peak embroidery—one of the most magnificent of all the compositions found in the hidden library at Dunhuang. This embroidery dates from China’s Tang dynasty (618–907). It depicts the Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak – in Buddhist tradition a favorite retreat of the Buddha and his disciples, located in what is now north-east India. It was discovered by archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein (1862–1943) who, while exploring the many caves at Dunhuang, discovered a walled up cave. Behind this wall was a library full of manuscripts paintings and textiles, including this astonishing embroidery. Watch the rest of the ‘Conserving Vulture Peak’ series here: https://goo.gl/FXoBK2 The tapestry is part of a collection donated to the British Museum by the archaeologist Sir Aurel Stein (1862–1943).