Description
Elephants and Ivory in China and Spain provides a comprehensive examination of how elephants and ivory products influenced medieval societies across Asia and Europe. This innovative study traces the commercial networks, diplomatic exchanges, and cultural significance of these exotic commodities during the Global Middle Ages.
John Beusterien and Stephen West investigate how elephant tusks and related materials were valued as luxury goods, ceremonial objects, and symbols of power in both Chinese and Spanish courts. The authors explore the trade routes connecting these distant regions, the craftsmanship involved in ivory working, and the ways these materials facilitated cross-cultural communication.
By analyzing primary sources and archaeological evidence, the book reveals how elephants functioned as diplomatic gifts and markers of prestige, while ivory became a medium for artistic expression and religious devotion. This comparative approach illuminates broader patterns of medieval globalization and resource exchange.
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