The volume examines the mutually constitutive relationship between the materiality of objects
and their aesthetic meanings. Its approach connects material culture with art history curation
technologies and practices of making. A central dimension of the case studies collected here is
the mobility of objects between Europe and China and the transformations that unfold as a
result of their transcultural lives. Many of the objects studied here are relatively unknown or
understudied. The stories they recount suggest new ways of thinking about space cultural
geographies and the complex and often contradictory association of power and culture. These
studies of transcultural objects can suggest pathways for museum experts by uncovering the
multi-layered identities and temporalities of objects that can no longer be labelled as located
in single regions. It is also addressed to students of art history of European and Chinese
studies and scholars of consumer culture. « This eagerly awaited volume offers deep and
extensive insights into the fast-growing field of material culture studies. Its fresh approach
to Eurasian objects and materialities will serve as useful reading for all scholars interested
in transcultural and global studies. A very helpful introductory essay. » Sabine du Crest
University of Bordeaux Montaigne Former Fellow The Harvard University Center for Italian
Renaissance Studies.
