PEM’s ‘Asia in Amsterdam’ exhibit combines culture and commerce

"Asia in Amsterdam: The Culture of Luxury in the Golden Age" is the latest exhibition of marvel at the Peabody Essex Museum. Now through June 5, visitors of the PEM are welcome to explore a sensational presentation of art and cultural innovation through commerce, using all five senses. The museum, in the center of Salem, Mass., is the exclusive U.S. venue for this series, which was five years in the making and co-organized by the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam.

Columns of cinnamon, clove and peppercorns artfully infuse the gallery air as the exhibition begins to tell tales of adventure, domesticity, fashion, gastronomy, intrigue, and, sadly, the massacre of thousands of Banda Islanders in the name of nutmeg. The spicy essence of inspiration offers an aromatic hint of what guests will inhale as they follow the flow of galleries exploring the museum's interpretations of exotic ports of call across China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam before sailing back to Amsterdam's hub.