Francis I's ties with the Ottoman Empire marked the birth of court-sponsored Orientalism in France. Under Louis XIV, French society was transformed by cross-cultural contacts with the Ottomans, India, Persia, China, Siam and the Americas. The consumption of silk, cotton cloth, spices, coffee, tea, china, gems, flowers and other luxury goods transformed daily life and gave rise to a new discourse about the 'Orient' which in turn shaped ideas about science, economy and politics, and against absolutist monarchy. An original account of the ancient regime, this book highlights France's use of the exotic and analyzes French discourse about Islam and the 'Orient'.

Tufts University

Part I: One Nation, One World under French Rule Introduction Chapter 1: The First Orientalist; Guillaume Postel Chapter 2: The Ambassadors Chapter 3: France in the World Chapter 4: Orientalism and the Production of Knowledge under Louis XIV Chapter 5: The Turks and the 'Other' Within: The Huguenots Chapter 6: Coffee and Orientalism in France Part II: Consuming the Exotic Chapter 7: A 'barbarous taste': The Transmission of Coffee Drinking Chapter 8: Domesticating the Exotic: Imports and Imitation Chapter 9: The Politics of Pleasure: French Imitations of Oriental Sartorial Splendor and the Royal Carrousels Chapter 10: Orientalism, Despotism and Luxury