Читать книгу Art in Theory - Группа авторов - Страница 19

Despite having trade links with Rome and Byzantium via the ‘Silk Road’ that had existed since antiquity, China was little known in the West during the Middle Ages. However, the Pax Mongolica established by Genghis Khan and his descendants briefly enabled new connections to be made before the collapse of the Mongol Empire and the subsequent further expansion of Islam again interrupted direct East–West contact. Marco Polo’s account of China is the most famous of these (see IA3), but he was preceded by some hybrid diplomatic–ecclesiastical missions in the mid‐thirteenth century. ‘John of Carpini’, to give his name in its anglicized form, was an Italian Franciscan monk sent on a mission to the reigning great khan, Güyük (or ‘Kuyuk’), by Pope Innocent IV in 1245–7. The historian Anthony Pagden has described Carpini’s resulting account as ‘the first detailed and perceptive piece of writing about an Asian people to have appeared in Europe since Herodotus’ (Pagden, Worlds at War, 2009, p. 292). The following selection centres on an account of the election/coronation of the great khan in an assembly of three to four thousand delegates from Tartar domains all over Eastern Europe and Asia. This was held close to their capital of Karakorum in the summer of 1246. Carpini’s account mentions the large tents, their painted decoration, golden ornaments and the khan’s ivory throne. Our extracts are from Manuel Komroff (ed.), Contemporaries of Marco Polo, London: Jonathan Cape, 1928, pp. 40–3, 45.

When we had arrived at the court of Kuyuk, he caused, after the Tartars’ manner, a tent and all expenses necessary to be provided for us. And his people treated us with more regard and courtesy than they did any other ambassadors. However, we were not called before his presence, because he was not as yet elected, nor had they settled about the succession….

After five or six days, he sent us to his mother [the Regent Empress Turakina], under whom there was maintained a very solemn and royal court. When we came there we saw a huge tent of fine white cloth, which was, in our judgment, so great that more than two thousand men might stand within it, and round about it there was set up a wall of planks, painted with divers designs. We, therefore, with the Tartars assigned to attend upon us, went to this tent, and there were all the chiefs assembled, each one of them riding up and down with his train over the hills and dales. The first day they were all clad in white, but on the second they wore scarlet robes. Then came Kuyuk to the tent. On the third day they were all dressed in blue robes, and on the fourth in most rich robes of baldakin [brocade] cloth.

In the wall of boards about the tent were two great gates; by one of these, the emperor only was to enter, and at that gate there was no guard of men appointed to stand, although it stood continually open, because none dared go in or come out by it. All that were admitted, entered by another gate, at which there stood watchmen, with bows, swords, and arrows … There were many who, in our judgment, had upon their bridles, trappings, saddles, and such like trimmings, to the value of twenty marks in pure gold. […]

To our remembrance, we remained there about the space of four weeks. The election was, we thought, there celebrated, but it was not published and proclaimed there. Kuyuk came forth out of the tent, he had a noise of music, and was bowed to, or honoured with inclined staffs, having red wool upon the tops of them, and that, so long as he remained, which service was performed to none of the other chiefs. This tent or court is called by them Syra orda.

Departing, we all with one accord rode three or four leagues to another place, where, in a fine plain by a river’s side, between certain mountains, another tent was erected, which was called the Golden orda. Here Kuyuk was to be placed on the imperial throne upon the day of the Assumption of Our Lady [August 15]. But, because of the abundance of hail which fell at the same time, the matter was deferred. There was also a tent erected upon pillars, which were covered with plates of gold and joined to other timber with golden nails. It was covered inside with baldakin cloth, but there was other cloth spread over it on the outside. We remained there until the feast of St Bartholomew [August 24], when there was assembled a huge multitude standing with their faces towards the south. And a certain number of them, a stone’s cast distant from the rest, were making continual prayers, and kneeling upon their knees, went farther and farther towards the south. But we, not knowing whether they used enchantments, or whether they bowed their knees to God or to some other, would not kneel upon the ground with them. And having done so a long time, they returned to the tent, and placed Kuyuk on his imperial throne, and his chiefs bowed their knees before him. […]

Leaving this place, we came to another, where was pitched a wonderful tent, all of red purple, presented by the Cathayans. We were admitted into that also, and always when we entered there was given us ale and wine to drink, and cooked flesh when we desired to eat. There was also a lofty stage built of boards, where the emperor’s throne was placed, being very curiously wrought out of ivory, wherein also there was gold and precious stones, and there were certain stairs to ascend to it. And it was round at the back.