Compilation 20 June Thesis Kristin Scheel Lunde
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Lunde, Kristin Scheel (2018) 13th ‐ 14th century Yuan and Mongol silk‐gold textiles: transcultural consumption, meaning and reception in the Mongol empire and in Europe. PhD thesis. SOAS University of London. http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/30322 Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non‐commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the copyright holder/s. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. When referring to this thesis, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", name of the School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination. 13th – 14th Century Yuan and Mongol Silk-Gold Textiles: Transcultural Consumption, meaning and reception in the Mongol Empire and in Europe Kristin Scheel Lunde A thesis submitted for the degree of MPhil 2017 Department of the History of Arts and Archaeology SOAS, London University 1 Abstract This thesis examines the material and visual characteristics of silk-gold textiles produced in the Mongol empire during the 13th and 14th century. Their consumption and reception both within and beyond the Mongol empire is a central theme. Beginning with a discussion of the various consumption patterns of gold textiles and their multiple uses among the members of the Mongol elite, I then examine the eclectic gold designs and ornaments of the textiles and their symbolic representations in relation to aesthetics, cosmology and identity. The movement and transformation of gold textiles beyond the Mongol Empire is explored the second half and European consumption pattern are shown to share some similarities with the patterns of consumption practices discovered in the Mongol Empire. The comparative approach utilized here is new but these gold textiles have, in the past, been studied as products of one location, and categorized accordingly. Generally they have been assigned geographical and cultural provenances based on their stylistic features and their technical features. For this reason, gold textiles are often assigned to specific locations of production. This thesis challenges this practice and argues that concepts such as identity, authenticity, provenance and hybridity remain undependable measures when evaluating gold textiles from the Mongol period. 3 Table of Contents Lists of Illustrations…………………….……………………………………………………………………………7 Introduction……………………………………...……………………………………………………………………..14 Sources and terminology……………………………………………………….…………………………………..21 Transcultural analysis and methodology………………………..……….………………………………….23 Chapter One: Historical context and introduction to the material………………………………32 Silk,Traditions and Usages………………………………………………………………………………………...32 Gold,Traditions and Usages………………………………………………………………….……………………34 The Three Periods……………………………………………………………………………………………..………36 The Early Period………………………………………………………………………….…………………36 The Middle Period……………………………………………………………………….………………..39 The Later Period……………………………………………………………………………………………40 Gold Textiles – Multicultural Representation…………………………………………….……………….41 Technology Transfer………………………………………………………………………………….……………….43 From Early Compound Weaves Technique to Lampas Gold Textiles.……………..44 Modes of transfer…………………………………………………………………………….…………...47 Gold Textiles – technique and production…………………………………………………….…………...49 Lampas Weave Technique……………………………………………………………….………….…49 Gold Threads…………………………………………………………………………………………………51 The organization of the Production of Gold Textiles……………………………………….……..…..53 Supply and demand mechanisms……………………………………………………….………….57 Silk Supply - Silk taxes………………………………………………………………………….…………57 Gold Textile Production…………………………………………………………………………………59 Production Sites of Silk and Gold Textiles…………………………………………….…………59 The Demand for Silk………………………………………………………………………….…………..60 Expansion and Transfer of Textile Technology……………………………….…….…………61 Multiculturality……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..64 Gold Designs and Motifs ………………………………………………………………………………….…………66 Chapter Two: Consumption, function, design and reception in the Mongol Empire…69 Costumes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..69 Tents and Hangings……………………………………………………………………………………………….……85 Gifts, tribute and trade………………………………………………………………………………………….……86 Gold textiles as religious and funerary objects…………………………………………………….……..88 Motifs, designs and colours – majestic consumption and symbolism…………………..…….90 Scripture as ornaments…………………….…………………………………………………….……..96 Colours………….……………………………………………………………………………………….……103 Cultural Assimilation and Identity…………………………………………………………………………….109 Majesty……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………110 Chapter Three: Mongol Gold Textiles beyond Asia…………………………..………………………….116 Gold textiles in Situ…………………………………………………………………………………………………..118 4 Terminology and sources – defining gold textiles discovered in Europe…………………..120 Colours…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….125 Predispositions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………128 Visual Effects……………………………………………………………………………………………………………130 Perception…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…134 Demand and distribution ……………………………………………………………….………………………..136 Exchanges – Religion, Trade and Diplomacy…………………………………….……………………….145 Avignon……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..149 Gold Textile Designs in Northern European Paintings and Manuscripts……………………150 Perception and Consumption of luxury objects…………………………………………………..….151 Chapter Four: Interpreting Mongol Yuan textiles: Movement, technology and the Problem of Provenance.........................................................................................................153 Provenance………………………………………………………………………………………………………………154 Movement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….154 Cultural Appropriation………………………………………………………………………..……………………155 ‘Modern’ Attributions……………………………………………………………………………………………...156 Multicultural Knowledge…………………………………………………………….…………………………...157 Hybridity?.....................................................................................................................159 Movement of Design Repertoire…………………………………………….…………………………….….160 The Material…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....163 The Visual Representation……………………………………………………………………………………....165 Hybridity………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….166 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………….………167 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..….169 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………178 Appendixes 1. The Mongol Rulers……………………….……………………………………………………………….…..189 2. Terminology and Sources………..………………………..……………………………………………….190 3. Gold Textiles: Colours, Designs and Dimensions ……………………………………………..….193 4. Glossary and Terms……………………..………………………………………………………………….…197 5 Acknowledgements Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Professor Dr. Stacey Pierson for the continuous support of my studies and research, for her patience, motivation and immense knowledge. Her guidance helped me throughout the research and writing of this thesis. My gratitude goes the numerous colleagues and friends who have advised and assisted me during this project. In particular I extend my thanks to the staff of museums and collectors of gold textiles for their advice, assistance, and stimulating conversations. Last but not least, I would like to thank my husband for his constant support, understanding, congeniality and confidence in my work and made this project possible. 6 List of Illustrations Introduction Figure 1: Eurasia, icon drawings by the author. Figure 2: The Mongol Empire, circa 1250 AD, (http://www.lacma.org/khan/map.htm). Chapter One Figure 3: Detail of a gold textile robe, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar, photo by the author. Figure 4: Kesi silk tapestry fragment, 11th -12th century, Song dynasty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1983.105.),(Watt and Wardwell, 1997:83). Figure 5: Samitum, silk, 11th -12th century, The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. No.16/2009). Figure 6: Kesi silk tapestry fragment, 12th - 13th century, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1997.7),(Watt and Wardwell, 1997:83). Figure 7: Gold textile, fragment, mid 13th century, The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv.no. 20.1994). Figure 8: Gold Textile, Tent fragment, early 14th century, China or the eastern Islamic area, The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv.no. 40, 1997). Figure 9: Lampas, fragment of a cloud collar, late 14th century, China, Private Collection. Figure 10: Gold textile, robe bian xian, early 14th century, China or eastern Islamic area, The David Collection, Copenhagen (inv.no. 23.2004). Figure 11: Gold textile, robe, end 13th century – early 14th century, China or Central Asia, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar. (Te.227) Figure 12: Gold textile, robe, end 13th – early 14th century, China or Central Asia, Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar. (Te.228) Figure 13: Cross-harness loom, 13th century China, (Roselyn Lee Hammers, 2011:211). Figure 14: Gold brocade, silk, 12th – 13th,The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Figure 15: Gold brocade, silk, 12th – 13th,The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Figure 16: Gold brocade, silk, 12th – 13th,The Metropolitan Museum