As well as showing-off their wealth, courtiers also lived an elegant and protocol-led life that included customs such as exchanging lavish gifts with intimate acquaintances, ambassadors and dignitaries from abroad. Symbols of the sovereign's power, such gifts were sometimes used to great effect as propaganda tools, as is evident from the dedications and royal icons that decorate them.
The court's demand for luxury items resulted in the creation of royal workshops and the development of trade in luxury goods in towns.