The Shōsōin in Nara contains a unique collection of very ancient works of art from different countries along the Silk Road, many of which reached Japan via the trade routes. The works that are conserved in the Shōsōin were offered to the temple by the Empress Komyo and her daughter Koken after the death of the Emperor Shomu in the year 756 AD. They form a carefully chosen, coherent collection and have influenced generations of artists.

From pre-Islamic times, there were trade relations between the kingdom of Silla on the Korean peninsula and the Middle East, via the Maritime Silk Road. After the birth of Islam, Muslim merchants travelled extensively to the East and some of them settled there, for instance in China, and they probably came in contact with merchants from Silla. Muslims also settled on the Korean peninsula, where they found rich natural resources, especially gold, and pleasant living conditions. They cultivated Islamic culture and religious tradition.

In the 20^th century, excavations provided new information on the contacts between the Roman Empire and ancient India. Roman artefacts, such as pottery, textiles and jewellery, were found in various sites along the Coromandel coast as well as in the hinterland in Southeast India. These sites formed part of a vast trading network on the land and on the sea. Ships from the Roman Empire usually sailed to the Indian West coast and the goods they brought were then transported to the East coast on Indian vessels or via the land route.

From the 13^th century onwards, Persians established stable trade relations with the kingdoms of Sukhotai and subsequently Ayutthaya. They also settled in Siam and occupied official positions at court. The Thai royal family adopted elements of Persian culture, for instance in their style of dress. Since music was very important both at the Persian and Thai court, songs and musical instruments were exchanged and adapted to the local culture. The blending of traditional and foreign instruments led to the creation of new instruments in Thailand.

Glass was brought to China from West Asia around the 5^th century BC, probably via the maritime Silk Road. Shortly after, the Chinese started making their own glass and exported it to Korea and Japan. At the same time, Roman glass arrived in China over the inland and maritime roads. The import of pre-Islamic Sasanian glassware via the desert route was followed by Islamic glass, which reached China both by land and by sea. From the 11^th century, most glass was imported and exported over the maritime road.

International trade with Chinese ceramics began in the 8^th century AD, mostly via the maritime Silk Road. The very popular light-green monochrome Celadon, which was conceived as an imitation of jade, was exported from the 10^th century onwards. Due to the influence of Arab merchants, who preferred the more flamboyant Blue-and-White ware, the fabrication of this more recent type of porcelain increased significantly, whereas the trade with Celadon diminished.

The religious cults practiced by Central Asian nomadic tribes before the rise of the Sasanian Empire were varied, and some bore similarities to Zoroastrianism. Archaeological evidence from sites in Bactria, Magiana and Sogdia has revealed how the myths, gods and their representation as well as funerary rites in Central Asia evolved and spread from the Bronze Age until the arrival of Islam in the seventh century AD.

At the margins of the main Silk routes, numerous secondary routes equally contributed to the exchange of goods and works of art and the diffusion of languages, religions and cultural influences. Thus, several routes through the Himalaya connected India and China after the rise of the Kushan Empire in the 1^st century AD. The route running through Nubra Valley in the Ladakh district saw the passage of several Western explorers, and it remained open until the middle of the 20^th century.

The trade relations which developed between Portugal and China from the 16^th century onwards led to the mutual exchange of knowledge as well as artistic and political influences. New foods and technologies were introduced in both countries. The city of Macau, with its architectural mix of Eastern and Western elements, is one striking example of the encounter between these two cultures.

The introduction of Chinese porcelain in Mesopotamia had important effects on early Islamic ceramics. Potters in Basra imitated the white colour of Chinese porcelain by inventing an opaque white glaze. They also used Chinese shaping and firing techniques and gained inspiration from Chinese designs. The knowledge of Chinese manufacturing techniques probably reached Basra via Muslim merchants in the Far East. Blue and white ceramics from Basra made their way to China, where they probably inspired potters to experiment with blue ink drawings on a white surface.