Islamic military objects in Museums of Vienna

This project examines for the first time Islamic military objects of Museums in Vienna with special reference to about 150 pieces of parade weapons and armoury of the 15th-18th century (e.g., in the Imperial Armoury in the Kunsthistorische Museum, the Museum of Military History and the Wienmuseum). Until now scholars of art history have not focused their attention on international collections of Islamic arms and armoury sufficiently in order to approach detailed studies on the provenance and chronological classification of islamic weaponry. Therefore, further research is required: This study on Islamic arms and armoury collections in Vienna represents an initial attempt at examining the historical context by studying the unexplored sources of the State Archive in Vienna concerning documents with attached gift lists of ottoman embassies or by carefully analysing chronicles as well as travel accounts of European or Muslim ambassadors. In addition to the historical approach, a detailed investigation of the style and iconography of the decoration and further examination of the specific calligraphy of the inscriptions is necessary: The main point of this project is not only to search through the latest secondary literature of islamic arms and armoury, but also to survey objects in different museums in Europe, West Asia and North Africa in order to refine the upcoming iconographic and stylistic results from the first overall inspection of the inventory of the different arms and armoury collections in Vienna. As to the historical context of these artworks, primary sources (for example ottoman gift lists with reference to islamic military objects or dispatches of venetian ambassadors in Constantinople) in important archives in Istanbul and Venice will be included for a close examination. Therefore, the designed method for this study is intended to become a comparative one: Firstly, an iconological approach concerning the artistic decoration of islamic weaponry, secondly an analysis of primary sources like chronicles and european or muslim travel accounts and thirdly a further analysis of muslim romance literature relating to the description of islamic military armoury. The expected findings of this project relating to the symbolic meaning of arms and armoury in muslim societies as well as to the cultural exchange between christian Europe and the Islamic Near East should be sufficient impetus for further investigation on Islamic military objects to historians, art historians and orientalists, respectively.

The main focus of the project crystallized on the examination of arms and armour of the Ottoman Empire and the diplomatic relations with the Habsburg empire from the 16th until the 18th century. Since the late 15th century, Islamic arms and armour were frequently used as highly political gifts as shown by diplomatic exchanges between the Early Ottoman or Late Mamluk empire with Italian states like Venice, Florence and Mantua. But the transfer of weapons as political gifts decreased during the 16th century at the zenith of Ottoman political power. During the following century more elaborate military objects reappear again but the types of weaponry and military accessories above all tents and horse equipmentschanged little over time until the early 18th century: Hencefoward the Ottomans decided to include also other types of weapons like sabres in the gift packages for the Habsburg emperors due to the increasing political weakness of the Ottoman state in the 18th century depending on more or less lasting peace agreements. The significance of arms and armour as political gifts can be traced back to the Early Islamic times: In the course of the 9th till 11th century Islamic arms and armour began to emerge as rank symbol closely tied to the corresponding titles the military dignitaries received from the caliph highlighting their increasing political independence. There were finally included in gift packages representing a strict hierarchal order which was maintained in all major Islamic Empires in Turkey, North Afrika, Iran and India till at least the end of the 18th century. The same hierarchal rules with the corresponding islamic arms and armour were also applied and received by the Christian nobility or monarchies. The symbolic significance of arms and armor in diplomatic encounters can be easily demonstrated by their elaborate display and staging at court ceremonies in palatial surroundings for foreign Muslim or Christian ambassadors emphasizing the political, religious and military superiority. To conclude, Islamic arms and armour could be used as a political tool for expressing either military might or an act of friendship depending on the equality or inferiority of the diplomatic contractors.The results of the project will be made public through a forthcoming book and a journal article as well as a corresponding web page. In addition, they may also be presented in exhibitions relating to Islamic military objects in the Museums of Vienna depending on the possibilities given in the near future.