gems, gem trade in Asia, gem business, trade between Europe and Asia, diamond

The imperative driving the long-distance seaborne trade of Europeans from the Age of Exploration onward was the acquisition of the exotic goods of the East—the silks, porcelains, and tea of China, the spices of the Spice Islands, and the textiles of India. Goods from the East focuses on the trade in such fine products, examining how they were manufactured, marketed, and distributed between Asia and Europe. This commerce was conducted both by the various East India Companies and by numerous private traders, and the first global age that emerged from it profoundly influenced European consumption and manufacturing. The book offers a broad comparative and interconnected study of Asia’s trade with a range of European countries. Its themes closely relate to questions of fine manufacture and luxury goods in the present era of globalization. Goods from the East brings together established scholars such as Jan de Vries, Om Prakash, and Jos Gommans, along with a new generation of researchers, all examining the connections between European consumer culture and Asian trade.