( CNN ) -- A statue resembling the goddess Athena and jewelry bearing images from Greco-Roman mythology may not be objects you 'd expect to see in a museum exhibit of Buddhist art from Pakistan . Their presence among carvings of Buddha and Indian deities is meant to serve as a reminder of Pakistan 's oft-forgotten multicultural roots , which form the basis of a new exhibit , `` The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan : Art of Gandhara . '' The show , which runs until October 30 at New York 's Asia Society , is the first to bring works of Gandharan art to the United States since 1960 . The pieces , on loan from museums in Karachi and Lahore , highlight Pakistan 's history as a crossroads of cultural influences , despite present-day associations of the country as an incubator of religious extremism , museum director Melissa Chiu said . `` When we think of Pakistan , Americans might associate it with the place where Osama bin Laden was captured , with terrorism and natural disasters , '' she said . `` But actually , it has a much longer history that dates back to an ancient culture that gives us a sense of a pluralistic tradition that was all about tolerance . '' At its height , Gandhara encompassed present-day Peshawar in northwest Pakistan and parts of eastern Afghanistan , the Hindu Kush , and northwest India , making it a major center of trade , commerce and the development of arts and education . Pakistan may be 95 % Muslim today , but Buddhism flourished in Gandhara between the 2nd century B.C . and 10th century A.D. , giving rise to a distinct style of Buddhist visual art . The statue of Athena and a gold carving of Aphrodite in the exhibit demonstrate the early influence of Greco-Roman culture in the region , which began with its conquest by Alexander the Great . Themes from classical Roman art persisted in Gandharan art even as Buddhism began to flourish in the first century A.D. , fostered by Silk Road trade and cross-cultural connections from the Mediterranean to China . Depictions of the Buddha and the concept of bodhisattvas , or `` enlightened beings , '' became the main icons of Gandharan art . A section of the exhibition , `` Buddhas and Bodhisattvas , '' explores the diverse visual imagery of Buddha and bodhisattvas in Gandhara and how it relates to the multifaceted nature of Buddhism in the region . A carving of a standing Bodhisattva bears drapery and folds reminiscent of what you might find in classical art ; another flaunts a chiseled torso reminiscent of , well , a Greek god , Chiu said . `` A number of sculptures show us the narrative of the life of Buddha , where we see Buddha represented as person , in symbols , footprint , but it 's his representation in human form that went on to influence art that went to China , Japan , Korea , other parts of Asia , '' she said . Getting the pieces to the United States is a tale of bureaucracy in true form two years in the making , but the initiative never suffered from a lack of desire , Chiu said . As an international team begins rebuilding two massive Buddha statues in Afghanistan destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 , the exhibit also demonstrates Pakistan 's dedication to preserving its multicultural heritage , Pakistan 's representative to the United Nations said . With Buddha at its thematic core , the exhibit also highlights lessons of tolerance and humanity of enduring relevance , especially in a time when relations between the U.S. and Pakistan are not at their best , UN Amabassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon said . `` Buddha represents a human being whose ethereal qualities were so magnified by his enormous wisdom that his values of himself , which were espoused by Gandhi and so many others , became his contributions to mankind , '' said Haroon , who was instrumental in helping secure the works on loan from the National Museum in Karachi and the Lahore Museum in Lahore . `` This was one of the great periods of the world of fundamental equity , of human rights and so many other important principles , which are important to Pakistan and the United States today , '' he said . `` We 're constantly going to strive for a better understanding of each other and a better relationship , and despite what 's happening between the U.S. and Pakistan , there are very strong grounds for us to coexist in peaceful fashion . ''
` ` The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan : Art of Gandhara '' opens at Asia Society in Karachi Statues of Greco - Roman gods featuerd alongside statues of Hindu , Indian deities . Pieces took more than two years to secure on loan from museums in Karachi and Lahore . This shows Pakistan 's dedication to preserving multicultural heritage , the ambassador says .