Knowing Objects

Knowing Objects explores how objects and their vocabularies mediated between different cultures of knowledge in the Low Countries, which was a key trading zone due to its connections with transnational networks such as the Spanish Empire, France, China and Japan. This book answers the questions: what was knowledge in the early modern period, and how did objects of art and language work to convey its concept? The reconstruction of knowledge object vocabularies makes it possible to rephrase the complex issue of historical epistemology. This multifaceted approach enables students and researchers to understand an object’s cultural biography: conception, production, consumption, and reception.