 
During the 18th and
19th centuries, European and American trade and empire-building
led to an accelerated influx of foreign luxury
goods. Exotic imported items, such as Kashmir shawls, were
desirable for their novelty and “authenticity.” Western
designers and manufacturers also tried to evoke exotic
associations through the use of particular techniques, color
combinations, or imagery, such as Chinese dragons. Such
exoticism translated the otherness of distant lands into new
visual idioms, like chinoiserie and japonisme. World’s Fairs and
department stores allowed millions of people to see products
around the world, although the cultural hodgepodge on display
could be described as “chaotic-exotic.”
November 27, 2007 -
May 7, 2008
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