Something Else

timur-i-lang:

“The jade cup was carved from a piece of pale green jade and adorned with a gold vegetable motif in which stems are interlaced with golden rosettes and palm leafs. The agate cup is unadorned. They were acquired by Baron Lionel de Rothschild (1808-97 CE) and have been in his family’s possession since that time. On one side of the Jade cup, the application exhibits the Kingdom of Navarre’s coat of arms, the so-called Chains of Navarre. The coat of arms of the Bourbons and of the French royal family, on the other side, helps to provide historical context for the object, or at least for a part of it, given that the gilt-bronze mounts appear to be attributable to the nineteenth-century English artisan Benjamin Vulliamy (1780-1854 CE). The elaboration of jade was very highly prized during the period of the Mughal Empire. The emperor Jahangir (1605-27 CE) possessed an extensive collection, part of which had previously belonged to his Timurid ancestors, and he sponsored the production of these types of luxury items. Many of them mimic the forms of older examples. During the seventeenth century it was common for vessels carved from stone to be adorned with gold filigrees and precious stones in the form of vegetable motifs. Some of these decorations recall Western prototypes due to the presence of European lapidaries working for the Mughal court. It is likely that this piece was created for someone in Europe. It is easy to conclude, given the presence of the coat of arms, that it was intended for the King of France himself, and it may have been commissioned directly by one of his representatives. It is also possible that it was a gift of state presented to the king by an ambassador.”