Awards

My thesis focuses on the gold brocade, one of the favorite fabrics of the Mongol elite from the 13th to the 14th century. This textile, characterized by the lampas weaving technique, is closely identified with the Mongols and its fame spread from the Far East to the West. It was known as Panni Tartarici in Europe. In the Middle East, the same fabric was commonly called Nasīj. In contemporary Chinese sources, such as the History of the Yuan Dynasty, Nasīj is named after the transcription of Arabic into Chinese, Na-shi-shi. This luxurious fabric has an intrinsic meaning in relation to the cultural milieu from which it originated. Regarding the function, the gold brocade is an important material adopted for the manufacture of governors’ garments, as seen in the contemporary Chinese paintings and Persian miniatures. In addition, the majority of the Zhisun garments, the single-colored robe of honor mentioned in the History of the Yuan Dynasty, worn by the Mongol elites in the imperial banquets, were made of this fabric. Moreover, textiles are also considered as elements of architecture and furniture by nomadic peoples. Thus, gold brocade was integrated into the domestic life of the Mongol court and was also used to make sumptuous tents. In addition, gold brocade had various roles, and it was also used in both the military, religious and funerary spheres among the Mongol elites. In addition, these fabrics had also reached the West. They were imported and reutilized in the Christian sphere as well as in the princely court in Europe. Several liturgical vestments preserved in the Christian Church’s treasuries can be seen, which were produced with gold brocade from the Mongol Empire. Similar fabrics were also represented in the European paintings of late Medieval and early Renaissance times. Their presence in Europe suggests that gold brocades also played a role in diplomatic exchanges and may even have become a commodity of trans-Eurasian trade.

The present research aims to deepen the investigations into the production, circulation and use of these luxury textiles in different socio-political contexts within the Mongol Empire. The large-scale production of the gold brocade was accomplished under the bureaucracy system of the Mongol Empire, thanks to which the rulers had largely mobilized the resources under their control. The different ways in which this luxury textile was consumed by the Mongol elites are associated with their cultural identity, as the Mongols had maintained their nomadic tradition on the one hand, and they had also adopted the sedentary lifestyle of China and the Iranian world on the other hand. I will further discuss how specific patterns, ornaments and techniques in gold brocade textile became important symbols for users and viewers in the context of the imperial power system. Combining the physical materials with the written sources and the contemporary iconographical sources is an important aspect of my research methodology. In addition, a transcultural method will be adopted to analyze the gold brocade. In the multicultural society of the Mongol Empire, governors gradually adopted and assimilated traditional customs from different conquered cultures (Chinese, Persian and Islamic), it was an act of re-identification. Consumption of luxury textiles with the intention of changing or improving one’s social status may also be linked to so-called cultural mimicry.