Rock crystal vase Rock crystal vase A rock crystal vase is a vase made of rock crystal, a type of hardstone carving. Such vases were rare, expensive, and decorated with gold and jewels, used by royalty in Europe. A rock crystal vase that probably originated in the seventh century was given to William IX of Aquitaine (the Troubadour) by a Muslim ally (probably 'Abd al-Malik Imad ad-Dawla). When Eleanor of Aquitaine, William IX's granddaughter, married King Louis VII of France in 1137, she gave him the rock crystal vase as a wedding present. The inscription on it says he, in turn, gave it
Gift economy Gift economy A gift economy, gift culture, or gift exchange is a mode of exchange where valuables are not traded or sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards. This exchange contrasts with a barter economy or a market economy, where goods and services are primarily exchanged for value received. Social norms and custom govern gift exchange. Gifts are not given in an explicit exchange of goods or services for money or some other commodity. The nature of gift economies forms the subject of a foundational debate in anthropology. Anthropological research into gift economies began