Gilding the Lily: A Comparative Analysis of Ottoman and Mughal Royal Jewels in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
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India has a long, well-documented jewelry history that arguably reached its pinnacle during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the period of the great Mughal emperors (1526-1707, the reigns of Babur through Aurangzeb). Ottoman Turkey also has a significant tradition in the jeweled arts from the same era, including the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), but this period is significantly understudied by jewelry historians and museum curators of decorative arts in the West. This thesis attempts to correct that oversight by calling attention to the beauty, artistry, and material culture of Ottoman royal jewels in the sixteenth century, when the empire was at its creative height. The study employs a comparative approach, comparing and contrasting Ottoman royal jewelry with its better documented counterpart, seventeenth-century Mughal royal jewelry. Meanings embedded within jewelry via its acquisition, use, display, and storage, but foremostly the ceremonial and diplomatic function of gems and jewels are considered. Connected histories of the empires are explored through trade and diplomatic relations involving gems, jewelry and bejeweled luxury gifts. The approach seeks to highlight the regional and global history of the Ottomans and Mughals, departing from analyses comparing Ottoman-European and Mughal-European analyses. In so doing, the discussion of these two empires’ comparative and connected histories helps us to better appreciate the beauty and cultural significance of Ottoman and Mughal jewelry, both separately and together.
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