Gifts in the Age of Empire: Ottoman-Safavid Cultural Exchange, 1500-1639. Sinem Arcak Casale (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2023). Pp. 288. Cloth $55.00. ISBN 9780226820422

The Ottoman-Safavid rivalry was one of the most significant geopolitical struggles of the early modern Middle East, shaping the political, religious, and cultural landscape of the region.While scholars have thoroughly examined its military, religious, and ideological dimensions, Sinem Arcak Casale's Gifts in the Age of Empire takes a novel approach by focusing on material culture and diplomatic exchange.Through a careful examination of gifts -including opulent objects, symbolic gestures, and even living persons -Arcak Casale demonstrates how material exchanges were not merely ceremonial but played an active role in shaping imperial relationships, asserting claims to sovereignty, and negotiating religious and political boundaries.Structured into an introduction and five chapters, Gifts in the Age of Empire is visually rich, containing high-quality images of miniatures, documents, and illustrated depictions of gift-giving ceremonies.This visual component is especially crucial, as nearly all Safavid gifts sent to the Ottoman court -except for the famous Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasbhave been lost.Given this absence, Arcak Casale relies heavily on Ottoman, Safavid, and European sources to reconstruct the nature and significance of these gifts.Her engagement with foreign, particularly Italian, accounts adds a fresh perspective, as these observers often provided detailed, firsthand descriptions of the ceremonies, free from the political biases of the Ottoman and Safavid courts.One of the book's key arguments is that Ottoman-Safavid gift exchanges were asymmetrical.Arcak Casale notes that the Safavids consistently sent more gifts to the Ottomans than they received in return.While this might suggest a tribute relationship -an interpretation often reinforced by Ottoman sources -Arcak Casale challenges this idea.She argues that Safavid gifts did not follow the structured framework of traditional tribute payments, as they were not sent according to fixed amounts, pre-established schedules, or contractual obligations.Instead, these exchanges were highly flexible and politically charged, serving as tools for asserting influence, maintaining imperial hierarchies, and crafting narratives of legitimacy.The book also highlights the multiple layers of meaning embedded in gifts.These objects were not just diplomatic offerings, they carried religious, political, and historical significance.Gifts were meant to be seen not only by the presenter and recipient but also a broader audience, including courtiers, ambassadors, and foreign observers.This visibility made gift-giving an essential part of imperial image-making.