Editing Northern Wei (section)

===Central Asian influences===
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=300|caption_align=center
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| image1   = Sik Road Camel driver (Northern Wei).jpg
| image2   = Sasanian Gilt Silver Plate, from Northern Wei 504 CE tomb.jpg
| footer=Many objects suggesting exchanges with Central Asia have been found, especially in Northern Wei tombs. '''Left''': Model of a Silk Road camel driver, Northern Wei period. '''Right''': a [[Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom|Kushano-Sasanian]] style plate with hunting scene, from the Northern Wei tomb of [[Feng Hetu]] (封和突, a [[Xianbei]] military official, 438–501) in Xiaozhan village, Datong. Shanxi Museum.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Harper |first1=Prudence O. |title=An Iranian Silver Vessel from the Tomb of Feng Hetu |journal=Bulletin of the Asia Institute |date=1990 |volume=4 |pages=51–59 |jstor=24048350 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24048350 |issn=0890-4464}}</ref><ref name=WattMet2004/>{{rp|[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JbdS-R3y72MC/page/n177/mode/2up 152]}}
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Northern Wei art came under influence of Indian and Central Asian traditions through the mean of trade routes. A Central Asian (胡) named An Tong (安同), a descendant of the [[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] missionary [[An Shigao]], was political counsellor to the first Northern Wei emperor [[Tuoba Gui]] (370–409).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Vaissière |first1=Étienne de la |title=Sogdian Traders: A History |date=12 November 2018 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-474-0699-0 |page=62 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cqWODwAAQBAJ&pg=PA62 |language=en}}</ref> Most importantly for Chinese art history, the Wei rulers converted to [[Buddhism]] and became great patrons of [[Buddhist art]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Tuoba Xianbei and the Northern Wei Dynasty |url=https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/nwei/essay.html |website=depts.washington.edu}}</ref> Numerous [[:Commons:Category:Central Asian objects of Northern Wei tombs|Central Asian objects]] have been found in Northern Wei tombs, such as the tomb of [[Feng Hetu]].<ref name=WattMet2004/>{{rp|[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JbdS-R3y72MC/page/n173/mode/2up 148]}} It is believed that the main influx of Western objects among the Northern Wei followed the defeat of the [[Rouran Khaganate|Rouran]] circa 450 CE, which allowed for the visit of diplomatic and, mainly, merchant caravans from [[Khotan]], [[Kashmir]] and [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian Persia]].<ref name=WattMet2004/>{{rp|[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JbdS-R3y72MC/page/n179/mode/2up 154]}}
Also, when the Northern Wei defeated the [[Northern Liang]] in 439 CE, they captured a great number of [[Sogdia]]n merchants from their capital [[Wuwei, Gansu|Wuwei]], and resettled them in their own capital at [[Datong]], thereby fostering trade.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Li |first1=Xiao |title=Studies on the History and Culture Along the Continental Silk Road |date=10 September 2020 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-981-15-7602-7 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DW78DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA11 |language=en|quote="It is evident that when the Northern Wei defeated Northern Liang and seized its capital (439), they captured a large number of Sogdian merchants living in Wuwei and resettled them in Pingcheng (present-day Datong), the capital of the Northern Wei."}}</ref>

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Northern Wei Gilt Silver (10100940894).jpg|Gilt silver from [[Bactria]] (5th c.), Northern Wei tomb.<ref name=WattMet2004/>{{rp|[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JbdS-R3y72MC/page/n179/mode/2up 154]}}|alt=Gilt silver from Bactria (5th c.), Northern Wei tomb.: 154
Northern Wei Gilt Silver Cup (10100966774).jpg|Gilt silver cup from Central Asia, Northern Wei tomb.<ref name=WattMet2004/>{{rp|[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_JbdS-R3y72MC/page/n175/mode/2up 150]}}|alt=Gilt silver cup from Central Asia, Northern Wei tomb.: 150
Northern Wei Gilt Silver Cup (10100972454).jpg|Gilt silver from Central Asia, Northern Wei tomb
Northern Wei Persian Silver Coins (detail).jpg|Sasanian silver coins from Central Asia, Northern Wei tomb
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