“This elegant volume edited by Sussan Babaie and Melanie Gibson is a pioneer effort. . . superbly illustrated and kaleidoscopically examined.” ― Newsletter of the Oriental Ceramic Society

"From decoratively designed porcelain and pocket watches, to the adoption of 'themes and motifs from Ottoman art' in eastern Orthodox ecclesiastical textiles, this informative collection of essays explores how the 'irresistible quest for new markets' established 'connectivity' between the two cultures that 'transcend[ed] barriers.'" -- AramcoWorld

★ A premium title in the Gingko Library Art Series, this book focuses on the interplay between trade and art in the Islamicate world during the 17th and 18th centuries, striking a perfect balance between academic depth and visual appeal.
★ Highly praised by authoritative platforms such as the Newsletter of the Oriental Ceramic Society and AramcoWorld, it offers pioneering research perspectives and serves as an essential reference for the study of early modern cross-cultural artistic exchange.
★ Featuring lavish and abundant illustrations covering diverse trade commodities such as porcelain, silk, and books, it vividly demonstrates how commercial interactions drove the two-way flow of culture and technology.

This lavishly illustrated volume of essays introduces a fascinating array of subjects, each exploring an aspect of the far-reaching “mercantile effect” and its impact across western Asia in the early modern era. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the increased movement of merchants and goods from China to Europe brought desirable commodities to new markets, but also spread ideas, tastes, and technologies across western Asia as never before. Through the newly-established Dutch, English, and French East India companies, as well as much older mercantile networks, commodities including silk, ivory, books, and glazed porcelains were transported both east and west. The Mercantile Effect shows a fascinating array of trade objects and the customs and traditions of traders that brought about a period of intense cultural interchange.

Melanie Gibson is senior editor of the Gingko Library Art Series.