La vente des diamants de la couronne : son histoire, ses préparatifs, ses résultats : avec le catalogue raisonné des joyaux : précedé de la reproduction du catalogue officiel et orné de 35 dessins des principaux bijoux /par Arthur Bloche 1888

This is Arthur Bloche’s “The Sale of the Crown Diamonds,” printed in Paris in 1888. The book is modest in its materials – paper, ink, and thread – yet it speaks volumes about the relationship between power, wealth, and production. Publishing, by this point, was an industrial process; the even impression of type on paper signals the use of a mechanized printing press, churning out copy after copy. Bound in signatures, this book is a monument to the division of labor. Inside, one finds a record of the jewels themselves – objects of enormous value, accrued through colonial exploitation and sustained by the labor of miners and gem cutters. What’s fascinating is how the diamonds, symbols of absolute authority, have been transformed into commodities for sale. The printing of this catalog mirrors this transformation, turning the Crown Jewels into representations, mere images available for purchase. By considering the materials and context of this book, we can understand the complex interplay of art, craft, and commerce in the late 19th century.