Buzkashi Match, Peshawar, Pakistan (#3) 1987

Curator: Edward Grazda captured this image, "Buzkashi Match, Peshawar, Pakistan (#3)", and it's part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: My first impression is a sense of contained chaos—a mass of horses and riders, all energy held in check. Curator: Buzkashi is a traditional Central Asian sport, often tied to masculine identity and regional pride. This scene offers a glimpse into a very specific cultural performance. Editor: The black and white lends a timeless quality, almost mythic. Horses, historically, symbolize power, freedom, and victory, so the clustered composition here suggests something more complex. Curator: The sport has undergone many political shifts—banned by the Taliban, revived later. The image echoes the socio-political turbulence. Editor: Absolutely, you can almost feel the weight of tradition, and a sense of something primal. It leaves me reflecting on the power of cultural rituals. Curator: It’s a striking illustration of how cultural practices evolve amidst societal shifts.