The richly illustrated volume features 33 short essays, each taking a single object as a starting point to unravel complex, interconnected histories. Written by curators, scientists, conservators and other museum staff, this multifaceted work explores issues of the circulation of materials, objects and technology which have long predated the contemporary period. This approach encourages readers to appreciate well known masterpieces as well as lesser known and unpublished works from a new perspective and focus on networks of artistic, cultural and historical connections that shaped their meaning and significance. This publication is a thought-provoking, engaging and accessible volume that will appeal to those with an interest in the arts of Asia, from Turkey to Japan and in all media, as well as those readers with an appreciation for late nineteenth-century American art.