A political-propagandist function of gifts in the Late Middle Ages

The custom of presenting gifts to each other on various occasions was quite widespread, both in the West and in the East. Gifts were presented by both kings and princes as well as by their subjects. They were given by rulers of states which maintained friendly relations with each other, so as to confirm and strengthen the friendly relations. But they were also given by rulers of states which competed with each other, or else which were openly hostile to each other; in this case, they were given as a token of good will and they expressed a wish to cease hostile operations and sanction new, peaceful relations. Sending valuable, sophisticated and original presents had not only a propagandist, but also a political significance. Sumptuous gifts were a proof of the might and power of a given state as well as of the strong position of its ruler on the international arena, which constituted an incentive to maintain friendly relations with him and to seek his favor. By presenting gifts in a skilful manner, one could succeed in overcoming the barrier of distrust and in time attain the desired goal. But excessive generosity in this respect could also trigger off aggressive behavior of a greedy partner. In some cases, giving generous gifts in the form of a forced tribute, became a way of securing peace for some states; while for others, it became a source of permanent revenue which in certain circumstances could be increased. In such cases, the more powerful neighbor, acting from the position of strength, purposefully refrained from engaging in military activities, so as not to upset the carefully constructed and advantageous deals, though he often demanded more sumptuous gifts, i.e. payment of a higher tribute. Such a situation could last for many years. On the other hand, presenting a generous gift to a well-known artist by a ruler, was interpreted in a totally different way. It underscored his rank and merits in the eyes of the contemporaries and it increased his popularity. More importantly, it satisfied the artist’s spiritual and material needs, whereas the ruler became a generous patron of arts who at the same time, enriched his collections with valuable works of art. Whereas a presentation of a symbolic Golden Rose by a pope, was interpreted in the Christian world as an expression of special recognition for a concrete person or state in the field of spreading and defense of the Catholic faith.