Koning met wierookvat en sieraden 1621 - 1667

Jacob Duck created this print of a king with incense burner and jewels in the Netherlands, during the 17th century. The image presents a figure in what might be called oriental dress, which was fashionable at the time. Looking at the image's meaning, we might ask, what exactly does this king represent? Consider the cultural and economic relationship between the Netherlands and the Ottoman Empire at the time. Wealth was pouring into the Dutch Republic from trade with the East. Luxurious dress became a marker of social status. But while Dutch merchants happily traded with the Ottomans, many also feared their military might. Prints like these demonstrate that early modern Europeans saw the East as a site of both luxury and menace. By drawing on costume books and travelogues, we can learn more about the fantasies that shaped Dutch culture. It’s by understanding these visual codes that we can start to understand the politics of imagery.