Entangled objects and hybrid practices? Material culture as a new approach to the history of diplomacy

Abstract

From the very beginnings of diplomacy, material culture has been a significant factor in intercultural relations, even if its outward appearance and symbolic meaning have changed over time. What has hardly changed, however, is the genuine multi-sensual nature of diplomatic communication, something that has for a very long time been neglected by historians. The following article applies a material culture approach to diplomatic history, outlining the most important dimensions of materiality in diplomatic encounters. These include the materiality of diplomatic documents, the material equipment of diplomatic actors, the architecture and furnishing of the sites used for diplomatic negotiations, the arrangement of diplomatic accommodation, and diplomatic gifts. It proposes a number of research methods for investigating the material culture of diplomacy and addresses methodological pitfalls, such as separating material practices from political objectives in the course of interpretation. Finally, the article explores the gain in knowledge that the focus on material culture can potentially offer to diplomatic historians. For example, it can provide valuable insights into the financial and economic history of diplomacy. It also enables historians to analyze processes of cultural transfer and cultural hybridization, and globalization in the context of diplomacy.