This book reconstructs the 1883 journey of Isabella Stewart Gardner and her husband through Asia, examining their experiences amidst Western expansion and their subsequent impact on art collecting. The Gardners traveled from Boston across the Pacific to Japan, China, Cambodia, and India, encountering a world in flux with colliding forces and identities. They visited ancient sites, met colonial figures, and witnessed the aftermath of anti-Western sentiment, all while Isabella documented their experiences through diaries, photographs, and a travel album. Upon their return, Isabella became a significant collector of Asian art, a relationship explored through essays by leading authorities that consider topics from the Japanese tea ceremony to the display of Asian art in her Boston museum.

This book combines the history of travel and collecting with the study of East-West relations, offering a unique perspective on Isabella Stewart Gardner's experiences and her influence as an art collector. Its extensive use of vintage photographs from Gardner's personal albums, many documenting sites now altered beyond recognition, provides exceptional historical and visual documentation. The inclusion of essays by major authorities on topics ranging from the Japanese tea ceremony to the display of Asian art in Gardner's museum suggests a scholarly yet accessible approach. The book is noted for its exceptional interest to readers of Joseph Conrad, implying a narrative depth and thematic resonance that appeals to those interested in historical travelogues and cultural encounters.