As more parts of the world outside Europe became accessible =– and in the wake of social and technological developments in the 18th century – a growing number of exotic artefacts entered European markets. The markets for such objects thrived, while a collecting culture and museums emerged. This book provides insights into the methods and places of exchange, networks, prices, expertise, and valuation concepts, as well as the transfer and transport of these artefacts over 300 years and across four continents. The contributions are from international experts, including Ting Chang, Nélia Dias, Noëmie Etienne, Jonathan Fine, Philip Jones, Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, Léa Saint-Raymond, and Masako Yamamoto.

Travel, Collecting, and Museums of Asian Art in Nineteenth-Century Paris examines transnational relations and intercultural exchange between modern Europe and Asia. At the core of the study are three major collectors: Enrico (Henri) Cernuschi, Emile Guimet, and Edmond de Goncourt, whose practices are analyzed to illuminate a larger history of East-West contact. The book takes an original approach that includes such overlooked issues as the impact of monetary histories and theories on European collections of Asian objects; the somatics of travel; collecting, writing, and display as polymorphous narratives of identity.