Elaborate and sensational gifts were the hallmark of Mamluk diplomacy. From Cairo, where they controlled the medieval spice trade and the holy sites of Christianity and Islam, the Mamluk Sultans-conscious of their humble slave origins-augmented their claims to legitimacy through brilliant displays of diplomatic gift-giving, creating a celebrated reputation for the Sultanate from Europe to the Far East. From spices, ceremonial textiles, and military objects, to elephants and giraffes, and even humans-either living or as severed heads. The offerings varied in combination and emphasis according to the status and circumstances of giver and receiver, but always created a sensation. Through an unparalleled study of primary sources and rigorous fieldwork, this original book-richly illustrated in colour-explores the unpredictable and nuanced art of the regal gift in the Mamluk Sultanate from 1250-1517. Doris Behrens-Abouseif not only provides the first study of this subject, but makes an important contribution to the study of diplomacy, economics, visual arts, and material culture in the medieval period.
| ISBN: | 9781784537036 |
| Publication date: | 30th October 2016 |
| Author: | Doris BehrensAbouseif |
| Publisher: | I.B. Tauris an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 264 pages |
| Genres: |
African history Material culture Social groups: religious groups and communities Diplomacy African history: pre-colonial period Social and cultural history History of art Middle Eastern history Economic history History and Archaeology |