The Dār al-Ṣināʿa: ʿĀmirid Patronage of the Luxury Arts

Abstract

It was said that the cause of his triumph was service to the sayyida Ṣubḥ al-baskunsiyya, mother of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and Hishām, and that she was the main reason by which the government and authority passed to him in a short time. He gained this woman’s trust by the quality of his service, by his success in gaining her satisfaction, and by his generosity in the offer of gifts and presents, until he captured her soul and dominated her heart, [which in turn] dominated that of her lord, [al-Ḥakam al-Mustanṣir]. Ibn Abī ʿĀmir strove to do good for her, to make ever more frequent his attentions to her, and he created [new means] to do so, by bringing her things which had no equal [and no-one had ever seen before]. [He did this] until he conceived for her a palace of silver, which he did when he had in his hands the control of the mint. He worked on [the palace] for a time and spent on it an immense quantity of money, to create a novelty [the like of which] nothing more marvellous had ever been seen. They transported it from the house of Ibn Abī ʿĀmir so that the people could see it and they spoke about it for a long time [afterwards]. Ibn Abī ʿĀmir occupied the highest place in her heart: [she] strove to help him, she gave him her support and spoke for him, until [the point] where the people gossiped about her passion for him. One day al-Ḥakam said to some of his confidants: ‘Who is he who [has used] this youth to bring my women to his side, until their hearts are seized? Who is he, who even though they have the pleasures of the world at their disposal, they do no more than describe his gifts and are not satisfied with anything unless he has given it to them? Either [I have] a mage full of wisdom or I have a diligent servant. I am nervous of what might come from his hands ...’ Ibn ʿIdhārī, Bayān II:268–9 [translation 416]1