Portable Dynasties: Imperial Gift-Giving at the Court of Vienna in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

This essay explores the varied meanings attached to imperial diplomatic gifts in eighteenth-century Habsburg court culture, particularly during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa. It examines the role of gifts in solidifying political allegiances and the different ways that social relationships were implied through giving different objects, ranging from a medieval hunting horn to furniture and snuff-boxes. The essay also discusses the ceremonial process of gift-giving in Vienna and the manner in which court protocol affected a gift’s meanings. The influence of Habsburg dynastic and familial ideology on gift culture receives special emphasis in an extended discussion of one particularly impressive portrait-encrusted snuff-box.