![]() The dragon on this cup reflects Ulugh Beg's taste for Chinese decoration. Ulugh ruled the empire for only two years but despite the political instability it was a golden age for Iranian art. After Timur's death in 1405, the empire began to disintegrate. Originally the ruler of a small Turkish tribe, Timur conquered the whole of Iran and Central Asia to create the Timurid Empire. Ulugh Beg was the grandson of Timur, known in the west as Tamerlane, or 'Timur the Lame', due to a leg injury sustained in battle. ![]() However, the cup could not save him from his own son who seized power in 1449 and had Ulugh beheaded. Ulugh Beg would have owned such a cup to protect himself from assassination by his rivals. The cup's inscription indicates it was owned by Ulugh Beg, ruler of the Timurid Empire from 1447 to 1449. When this cup was made it was believed that jade would crack if it came into contact with poison. ![]() ![]() This jade cup from Central Asia would have been valued for its beauty and its protective powers. ![]()
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