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"Shah Abbas...considering that Persia was a barren country, where there was little trade, and by consequence little money, resolved to send his subjects into Europe with raw silks, so to understand when the best profit would arise, to bring money into his country.
To which purpose, he resolved to make himself master of all the silk in his own country by purchasing it himself at a reasonable rate, taxed by himself, and to reap the gains by his factors..." (Mackey, p 340) “In the Islamic world, woven art forms played a profound and pervasive role in all aspects of life of nomads as well as of sedentary peoples, whether city or country dwellers” (Bier, 1987, forword by E. Ettinghausen). |
NEP-3 Penn Muesum Code
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Why do people trade silk?
One conceptual way for understanding why people traded Safavid silk is via a marketing business push pull model. That is, people traded the silk because consumers were demanding the luxury textiles for several reasons; but also because producers were pushing the product into the market as a source of revenue.
As mentioned in the manufacture section (link to manufacture), silk designs were influenced by/ based on drawings. And while the later remained mostly private, textile designers created elaborate patterns that could be admired by all those seeing the person wearing the garmet. It is an interesting marketing example on how to convey wealth and power.
As mentioned in the manufacture section (link to manufacture), silk designs were influenced by/ based on drawings. And while the later remained mostly private, textile designers created elaborate patterns that could be admired by all those seeing the person wearing the garmet. It is an interesting marketing example on how to convey wealth and power.
Sir Robert Shirley by Anthony Van Dyck 1622 Rome
Via wiki. Source also in "Renaissance clothing and the materials of memory" by Ann Rosalind Jones It is believed that Shah Abbas gave this robe of honor to Robert Shirley in 1598.
Silk production and export as a source of state revenue (push) Silk was the Safavid most lucrative and valuable export product. It was central to the court as a source of revenue. The central state had a part in the procurement, negotiating and distribution of the product. Shah Abbas promoted international contacts in Europe to create markets for Safavid silk. Sponsored by the state, trade routes were build and improved. Production specialization was encouraged, especially in the Isfahan Kashan and Iazd triangle. |
There are several reasons for why people demanded Safavid silks: Within the Safavid empire: Sartorial splendor was characteristic within the Safavid Empire. Opulent silks were a symbol of wealth and power. "According to the court historian Rustam al Hukma , the wardrobe of Shah Sultan Husayn was so vast that it could have dressed a hundred thousand men, primarily in silk... (Mackey 2015, pp 341, 341) The extravagant receptions that were held required thousand of textiles for clothing, furnishings and tentage. Gift giving Robes were bestowed by rulers on their courtiers and visiting dignitaries as marks of honor. The robes of honor were handed out during a yearly ceremony within the Safavid Empire; they came with a yearly pension.The robes reflected the status of the recipients and the wealth of who gave them. Luxury textiles were also used as a diplomatic gift, the Safavid Shahs presented those to foreign potentates to further their interests: "Shah Tahmasp presented three hundred gold brocaded silks. a thousand expensive silk fabrics...to Sinan Pasha..the esteemed Ottoman court architect. (Mackey 2015, p 340) Most European ruling houses owned fine Persian carpets; for example several pieces of brocaded velvet hung in a room in Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen (Mackey, 2015). Some Safavid silk textiles were made into liturgical garments and are part of the ecclesiastical treasuries. They were also used for coronation clothes (Wien Schatzkammer). That (treasuries and sacristies) is how many of those came down to us. Silk as tresure and currency: When the Afghans conquered Isfahan, silks were part of the treasure, so they became dispersed. As booty they become part of other treasuries; they were a compensation for conquerors. (create link to historical / cultural context). Regifting of Safavid textiles was also practiced. Mackey (2015) tells of an example were a surcoat given to a Russian Tsar was regifted to Queen Christina of Sweden in 1644. Silk can even be considered as a currency: it is a product of intrinsic value, relatively easy to transport and non perishable. Textiles had a monetary value, they were used to pay taxes or barter; even as an investment. |
Sources and further reading
Woven from the soul, spun from the heart : textile arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran, 16th-19th centuries / edited by Carol Bier.
Contributor: Bier, Carol
Publication: Washington, D.C. : Textile Museum, 1987.Format/Description:Book xvi, 336 p. ISBN:0874050278 : 087405026X (soft) :
Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th -21st Century
Mackie, Louise. New Haven: Yale, 2015.
The politics of trade in Safavid Iran : silk for silver, 1600-1730
Matthee, Rudolph P. Publication: Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Woven from the soul, spun from the heart : textile arts of Safavid and Qajar Iran, 16th-19th centuries / edited by Carol Bier.
Contributor: Bier, Carol
Publication: Washington, D.C. : Textile Museum, 1987.Format/Description:Book xvi, 336 p. ISBN:0874050278 : 087405026X (soft) :
Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th -21st Century
Mackie, Louise. New Haven: Yale, 2015.
The politics of trade in Safavid Iran : silk for silver, 1600-1730
Matthee, Rudolph P. Publication: Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1999.