The Mongol arts were a distinctive feature of the Mongol cultural tradition, and they were characterized by a combination of steppe traditions and the traditions of the conquered peoples. The Mongols were famous for their music, which was based on a combination of Mongolian instruments and the instruments of Central Asia. The Mongols were also famous for their crafts, particularly metalwork, leatherwork, and textile production.
The Mongol arts reached their height in the Yuan Dynasty in China, where the imperial court patronized a wide range of artistic traditions. The most distinctive of the Yuan artistic traditions was the painting of the Yuan court, which combined Chinese brushwork with Persian colors and motifs. The architecture of the Yuan capital, Khanbaliq, was similarly cosmopolitan, combining Chinese, Tibetan, and Persian elements.
Music and Performance
The Mongols were famous for their music, and music was a central feature of the Mongol cultural life. The Mongols developed a distinctive tradition of music, based on a combination of Mongolian instruments and the instruments of Central Asia. The most important of the Mongolian instruments was the morin khuur, a two-stringed fiddle with a horse-head carving at the top of the neck, which was the national instrument of the Mongols.
The morin khuur was a distinctive instrument, and it was widely used in Mongol music. The morin khuur produced a haunting, melancholy sound that was said to evoke the sound of the wind on the steppe. The morin khuur was typically used to accompany the long song (the “urtiin duu”), a form of vocal music that was central to the Mongol musical tradition.
The other important Mongolian instruments included the tobshuur, a plucked lute; the khuur, a generic term for stringed instruments; the limbe, a type of flute; and the dun, a type of drum. The Mongols also adopted a number of instruments from the conquered peoples, including the Persian rubab and the Chinese sheng.
The Mongols were also famous for their epic poetry, and the long song was often used to perform the epics. The most famous of the Mongol epics was the “Secret History of the Mongols,” which was written down in the mid-thirteenth century. The Secret History is, in many ways, a literary work, and it is full of songs, speeches, and dramatic dialogue.
Visual Arts
The Mongols were not, at the beginning of their conquests, a major visual art tradition, but they quickly developed a distinctive tradition of visual art, based on a combination of steppe traditions and the traditions of the conquered peoples. The most important of the Mongol visual arts were the metalwork, the textile production, the carpet weaving, and the manuscript illustration.
The metalwork of the Mongols was particularly famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality metalwork in gold, silver, and bronze. The most famous of the Mongol metalwork was the “Golden Belt,” a type of decorative belt that was widely used by the Mongol ruling class. The metalwork was often inlaid with precious stones, and it was a major symbol of the wealth and the power of the Mongols.
The textile production of the Mongols was also famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality textiles, particularly silk and velvet. The most famous of the Mongol textiles was the “Mongol silk,” a type of silk fabric that was widely used in the Mongol court. The textile production was a major source of revenue for the Mongol Empire, and the textile trade was a major part of the Pax Mongolica.
The carpet weaving of the Mongols was also famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality carpets, particularly the “Mongol carpet,” a type of carpet that was widely used in the Mongol court. The carpet weaving was a major source of revenue for the Mongol Empire, and the carpet trade was a major part of the Pax Mongolica.
The manuscript illustration of the Mongols was also famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality manuscript illustration, particularly the illustration of the Secret History of the Mongols and other important texts. The manuscript illustration was a major feature of the Mongol cultural tradition, and it was widely copied by the artists of the successor states.
Architecture
The architecture of the Mongols was also a distinctive feature of the Mongol cultural tradition, and it was characterized by a combination of steppe traditions and the traditions of the conquered peoples. The most famous of the Mongol architectural traditions was the “yurt,” a portable, round tent that was the characteristic dwelling of the Mongol people. The yurt was a sophisticated piece of design, and it was widely copied by the cultures of the steppe.
The Mongols were also famous for their urban architecture, particularly the architecture of the imperial capitals. The most famous of the Mongol imperial capitals was Khanbaliq (modern Beijing), which was the capital of the Yuan Dynasty from 1271 to 1368. The architecture of Khanbaliq was a major synthesis of Chinese, Tibetan, and Persian styles, and it was a major symbol of the cosmopolitanism of the Mongol Empire.
The other important Mongol architectural traditions included the architecture of Karakorum, the original capital of the Mongol Empire; the architecture of Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde; and the architecture of Tabriz, the capital of the Ilkhanate. All of these cities were major centers of the Mongol architectural tradition, and they were widely copied by the cultures of the successor states.
Crafts and Decorative Arts
The Mongols were famous for their crafts, and the crafts were a central feature of the Mongol economic life. The most important of the Mongol crafts were the leatherwork, the metalwork, the textile production, and the pottery. The crafts were typically produced in workshops, and the workshops were typically located in the larger camps or in the towns.
The leatherwork of the Mongols was particularly famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality leather goods, particularly saddles, harnesses, and yurt covers. The leatherwork was a major source of revenue for the Mongol Empire, and the leatherwork was widely traded across the empire.
The pottery of the Mongols was also famous, and the Mongols were known for their high-quality pottery, particularly the blue-and-white pottery that was a major feature of the Mongol artistic tradition. The pottery was a major source of revenue for the Mongol Empire, and the pottery was widely traded across the empire.
The Legacy of the Mongol Arts
The legacy of the Mongol arts is visible in a number of ways. The most obvious is in the modern arts of Mongolia, where the traditional arts of the Mongols are still practiced. The most famous of the modern Mongol arts is the morin khuur, the horse-head fiddle, which is a major symbol of the Mongolian national culture.
The legacy of the Mongol arts is also visible in the arts of the successor states of the Mongol Empire. The most obvious is in the arts of the Yuan Dynasty in China, which combined the traditions of the Mongols with the traditions of China to create a distinctive cosmopolitan culture. The other examples include the arts of the Ilkhanate in Persia, which combined the traditions of the Mongols with the traditions of Persia to create a distinctive cosmopolitan culture.
Sources
- Jack Weatherford, The Secret History of the Mongol Queens (New York, 2010).
- Anatoly M. Khazanov, Nomads and the Outside World (2nd ed., Madison, 1994).
- David Morgan, The Mongols (2nd ed., Oxford, 2007).