Masterpiece: Holding Memory in a Cup

At just over one inch tall and less than two inches in diameter, this cup from Central Asia offers a glimpse into how ideas about personal identity, family history, and prestige were conveyed through works of art.

‘Ala ud-Daulah (1417–1460) was a great-grandson of Amir Timur, founder of the Timurid Empire that ruled over parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan during the fifteenth century.

Little is known about ‘Ala ud-Daulah’s life, but his name lives on through this inscription. It suggests that ‘Ala ud-Daulah, who came from a family renowned for its patronage of the arts, was a man of refined tastes.

Just one of two known works in white jade associated with Timurid rulers, the pure, translucent white is among the rarest and most sought-after hues.

Jahangir began marking his place in a family lineage through artworks. Inscriptions mentioned Jahangir’s name along with his father’s and their Timurid ancestors', thus “collapsing historical time and bringing together royal ancestors in an imaginary family reunion.” This practice was continued by the later Mughal emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

The inscriptions on this cup call it a durj, which in Arabic and Persian denotes a small container used as a jewel box. Drawing on the use of durj in Persian poetry, where it serves as a metaphor for a cup holding “rubies” (red wine), some scholars suggest that this cup was used as a drinking vessel.

The Indian jade pictured here was also adapted by a later owner who had the metal fittings added in Europe. Precious objects, whether valued for their expensive materials or aesthetic beauty, are often repurposed to keep with changing tastes and lifestyles of their owners. Look out for other examples of reuse in the Asian Art Museum's collection. What memories do you think they hold?