Travelling to the East: A Nonverbal Communication Account

The present paper aims to give some account of the inner life of the East of which a traveller seldom gains more than a passing glimpse, by exploring some differences in nonverbal communication between European travellers and the natives of India and Persia, as they emerge from literary pieces written in the period 1664-1900. The focus will be on two nonverbal codes only, namely use of artefacts and rituals and practices. The analysis indicates both similarities, as well as differences between the two investigated cultures in terms of use of artefacts and rituals.