Practical Patrons: Reexamining the Art of the Mongols

In the thirteenth century, Khubilai Khan (r. 1260–1294) led the Mongols into China and established the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 CE). While scholars have enthusiastically embraced the Mongols’ more famous... [ view full abstract ]

In the thirteenth century, Khubilai Khan (r. 1260–1294) led the Mongols into China and established the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368 CE). While scholars have enthusiastically embraced the Mongols’ more famous contributions—including the unification of a vast land empire through innovations in warfare—they also tend to depict the Mongols as passive intermediaries through whom culture was transmitted rather than creators themselves. This view of history relies upon small number of literary works that were not written by the Mongols themselves and is mirrored by a lack of discussion about Mongol arts beyond the paintings they commissioned from their Chinese subjects. Fortunately, recent scholarship has led to changing ideas about the Mongol history’s impact on Chinese culture and has also raised questions about what art forms the Mongols can be credited with. In this paper, I will explore the crafts related to the Mongols’ nomadic roots—ornaments, jewelry, horse equipment, and weaponry—in order to reassess the meaning of “Mongol art.”