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1- Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Hazrate-masoome University, Qom , B.barati@hmu.ac.ir
2- University of Religions and denominations, Qom
3- Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Shahrekord University
2- University of Religions and denominations, Qom
3- Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Shahrekord University
Abstract: (11 Views)
The present study aims to redefine the textiles of the Mamluk period (1250–1517 CE) beyond traditional stylistic and aesthetic approaches by analyzing them within the framework of material culture theory, specifically drawing upon Daniel Miller’s concept of objectification. From this perspective, objects are not passive reflections of culture but active agents in the formation and transformation of social relations. The central research question investigates how the material agency of textiles contributed to the construction of power structures and social identity in Mamluk Egypt and Syria. Adopting a qualitative approach and employing the visual and historical content analysis of twenty-seven selected textile pieces from major international collections, this paper argues, in opposition to reflectionist approaches, that Mamluk textiles did not merely mirror the existing social order; rather, as dialectical mediators, they actively participated in shaping courtly relations, diplomatic exchanges, and, most notably, the political economy of gift-giving. Luxury textiles, in the form of robes of honor (khilʿa) and emblems of distinction, materially embodied the Sultan’s authority, consolidated social hierarchies, and managed elite loyalty. The findings demonstrate that the process of objectification in textiles was operationalized through four key, interwoven domains: “political legitimation” through the weaving of royal titles into fabrics; “dynastic identity construction and consolidation” through the use of heraldic blazons (rank); “diplomatic validation and the cementing of alliances” within the ceremonial bestowal of khilʿa; and “ritual protection” through the application of sacred coverings (kiswa), which linked sovereign power with the sacred. Rejecting the notion of the passivity of objects, this study concludes that Mamluk textiles were not merely products of their culture but were themselves productive of it; within a dynamic network of human and non-human actors, they materially contributed to the production and reproduction of the social order, political legitimacy, and collective identity of the Mamluk world.
Keywords: Material culture, Mamluk textiles, Daniel Miller, objectification, heraldic emblems, social life of objects
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