Gifts have been part of international relations since ancient
times. They can serve as tokens of friendship, apology or
authority; as taunts, bribes, boasts or tricks. They can also go
wrong: Mali's 2013 gift of a camel to French President Francois
Hollande was reported to have ended up in a tagine. Exploring fifty
diplomatic gifts given through the ages, Brummell explains the
great complexity of this political art-an exercise in
brand-building for the giver, via an item that must suit the
recipient's own interests and character. Byzantine emperors sent
fragments of the True Cross to fellow Christian rulers around
Europe; Kings Louis XV and XVI of France used Sevres porcelain,
while the Ottoman sultans favoured robes of honour. In some cases,
recipients have made no secret of the gift they would want. The
Amarna Letters, dating to around 1350 BCE, record a communication
from Hittite Prince Zita to the Egyptian Pharaoh, offering sixteen
men-and hinting rather heavily that he would like some gold in
return. From the Trojan Horse to Cleopatra's Needle to the Statue
of Liberty, this rich history offers a new take on both the curious
detail and the grand spectacle of global politics.
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