Combining strikingly new scholarship by art historians, historians, and ethnomusicologists, this interdisciplinary volume illuminates trade ties within East Asia, and from East Asia outwards, in the years 1550 to 1800. While not encyclopedic, the selected topics greatly advance our sense of this trade picture. Throughout the book, multi-part trade structures are excavated; the presence of European powers within the Asian trade nexus features as part of this narrative. Visual goods are highlighted, including lacquerwares, paintings, prints, musical instruments, textiles, ivory sculptures, unfired ceramic portrait figurines, and Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian ceramic vessels. These essays underscore the significance of Asian industries producing multiples, and the rhetorical charge of these goods, shifting in meaning as they move. Everyday commodities are treated as well; for example, the trans-Pacific trade in contraband mercury, used in silver refinement, is spelled out in detail. Building reverberations between merchant networks, trade goods, and the look of the objects themselves, this richly-illustrated book brings to light the Asian trade engine powering the early modern visual cultures of East and Southeast Asia, the American colonies, and Europe.

Bread baking is the process of making bread no matter what type of bread it is. This is usually done by bakers in bakeries but this process can also be done at home even if you are not a baker. In other words, you can bake your own bread at home if you want to. As a matter of fact, there are several advantages of baking bread at home. One, it is healthier. This is because you are the one baking your bread meaning you know and you have full control over the ingredients you are putting in it. Two, bread baking at home is cheaper. This is because you are not baking for profit and since you have full control over the ingredients, it is up to you to decide whether to use expensive ingredients or not.

Preserving is defined as the process of maintaining a food's state or condition even for a long period of time and canning is considered as one of the most popular processes of preserving food items. Food items like fruits, vegetables, etc. have a shelf life period by which they would stay fresh and edible, but usually, this shelf life is not as long as you want it to be. However, if they undergo the process of canning and preserving, they can maintain their condition and still be edible even if they are past their actual shelf life already. This is because canning involves putting these foods inside airtight cans or jars in order to lock in freshness and prevent spoilage as well as preserving involves putting ingredients such as salt, lemon, vinegar, etc. that have the ability to preserve food and lengthen their shelf life.

Soap is very essential in people's lives as this is used for personal hygiene which leads to and contributes to perfect health and a germ-protected body. Like other things, soap also undergoes a process before it became useful for whatever your purpose is. This process is called the soap making process and this refers to the act of making soap which may entail manual process or machine process. There are lots of benefits with the soap making process especially when you make soap on your own and one is the fact that it makes a good hobby. Since you are making your own soap, there is a feeling of satisfaction on your part brought about by your ability and success in making something useful out of your spare time.

Minimalist living is also known as simple living and minimalists are known to strive to live in minimum at all times in all aspects of their lives. For instance, when it comes to personal belongings and possessions, minimalist living means that you do not buy too much of these things. While it doesn't necessarily mean being thrifty and not buying expensive things, minimalist living is a great way to save money since fewer possessions means fewer spending.

Being frugal is the act of being practical and wise when it comes to using various resources like money, food, time and it is usually done through waste avoidance and not indulging in too much luxury or extravagance. In other words, being frugal involves restraining or using of resources properly and with moderation for whatever goals set by a person. Being frugal has several advantages. One, the frugal person will be free from debts since he or she will be able to avoid them through right management and use of monetary resources. Two, the frugal person is able to save money so that there will be money to take out in case of emergencies. The person no longer has to borrow from other people or from the bank. Three, the frugal person will be able to avoid wasted resources whether food, money, time clothing, etc.