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The classic description of Java in its first edition

RAFFLES, Thomas Stamford.
The history of Java.

With large folding engraved map of Java (1100 x 440mm) by J. Walker, coloured by hand in outlines, 10 fine coloured aquatint costume plates by William Daniell, some folding tables and many tables in text, numerous views and illustrations on 55 full-page, mostly soft-ground or line etched aquatint plates and 9 half-page views in the text.

With large folding engraved map of Java (1100 x 440mm) by J. Walker, coloured by hand in outlines, 10 fine coloured aquatint costume plates by William Daniell, some folding tables and many tables in text, numerous views and illustrations on 55 full-page, mostly soft-ground or line etched aquatint plates and 9 half-page views in the text.

With large folding engraved map of Java (1100 x 440mm) by J. Walker, coloured by hand in outlines, 10 fine coloured aquatint costume plates by William Daniell, some folding tables and many tables in text, numerous views and illustrations on 55 full-page, mostly soft-ground or line etched aquatint plates and 9 half-page views in the text.

With large folding engraved map of Java (1100 x 440mm) by J. Walker, coloured by hand in outlines, 10 fine coloured aquatint costume plates by William Daniell, some folding tables and many tables in text, numerous views and illustrations on 55 full-page, mostly soft-ground or line etched aquatint plates and 9 half-page views in the text.



London, printed for Black, Parbury, and Allen, booksellers to the Hon. East-India Company, and John Murray, 1817. 2 vols. Large 4to. Early 20th century vellum, spines ribbed and gilt, with red and green morocco title-labels, with decorative gilt borders on sides, with gilt flowers at the four corners and large gilt centerpiece, richly gilt inner dentelles and binding edges, marbled endpapers. With large folding engraved map of Java (1100 x 440mm) by J. Walker, coloured by hand in outlines, 10 fine coloured aquatint costume plates by William Daniell, some folding tables and many tables in text, numerous views and illustrations on 55 full-page, mostly soft-ground or line etched aquatint plates and 9 half-page views in the text. XLVIII, 479, (1 blank); VIII, 288, (4), CCLX 4) pp.

First edition of this as classic as famous history of Java by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826). From 1811 to 1816 Raffles had been Lieutenant Governor of Java during the British administration of the Dutch colonies following the blockade of the coasts of Europe by Napoleon's 'Continental system'. Before 1811 Raffles had shaped his carrer by an intensive exploration into the language, history and culture of the Malayan peoples scattered over the islands of the archipelago. He is one of the founders of Britain's empire in East Asia. Raffles sailed to Java in 1811, and, after a short and sharp engagement with the Dutch-French forces, occupied the island and on 11 September of that year he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Java. Raffles started immediately many reforms aimed at transforming the Dutch colonial system and improving the condition of the native population. His reforms, however, proved to be too costly for a trading company primiraly concerned with making profit, and were short-lived.

Raffles had worked on his history all the time he was at Java, and more seriously in 1815 when he knew his stay would come to an end. Back in England in 1816, the work was delayed because of work to be done on the illustrations. It was published in 1817, both on large (250 copies) and on ordinary paper (650 copies). The aquatints and etchings for the large paper copies were printed first and are in the best state. Our copy is on large paper, with the watermark 'W. Balston & Co., 1815'. The work is most profoundly and most richly illustrated, and is still a classic on the subject. Not only the usual topics are treated - such as the history of Java, its geography, demography, natural history, religion, law, customs, antiquities, European administration, commerce, military system, etc. -, but also highly original chapters on Javanese ethics, on literature, poetry, music, national drama, games of skill, hunting, languages, etc. are included.
Apart from the originality and scientific importance of the text, the outstanding feature of the book is its 66 plates, 10 of which are coloured aquatints illustrating Javanese life and costume, and the Papuan boy who accompanied Raffles to England in 1816, being the first of his race to visit that country. The plates are fully listed by Bastin-Brommer in note 83. Though unsigned, the 10 coloured aquatints are by William Daniell, who was also responsable for many of the designs and drawings used in the book. William Daniell's pre-eminence in the field of colour aquatinting and his direct experience of Indonesia made him the natural choice to engrave these plates.
The coloured soft-ground etching of Raden Rana Dipura, which forms the frontispiece of vol. 1 is probably also the work of Daniell and his unmistakable style is evident in the uncoloured aquatints of the temples at Dieng and Prambanan in vol. 2. Other plates are after the drawings by Captain Godfrey P. Baker and the Dutch surveyor and engineer H.C. Cornelis, who with J.W.B. Wardenaar supplied Raffles with other drawings of Javanese antiquities, engraved by J. Walker, J. Mitan and J. Swaine. The plates illustrate the cultural, religious, and daily life of Java, mostly in soft-ground etching with aquatint, several in line etching and aquatint and some, especially the alphabets and musical scores, in etching only. Depicted are native implements of husbandry, a spinning wheel, weaving loom and stamps used in making Batik cloths, musical instruments, Javanese krisses and weapons, wayang puppets and masks, alphabeths and inscriptions, temples in ruins and in reconstruction, Gods and Godesses after ancient casts and stones, etc., etc.
In terms of the pictorial depiction of Javanese costume and topography, the importance of The history of Java can hardly be exaggerated. "By a happy coincidence the British interregnum in Indonesia trew up one of the most energetic British orientalists at a time when the English colourplate book, illustrated by the medium of aquatint, was enjoying its greatest vogue. The marriage of scientifically original text with beautiful illustrations by an accomplished  aquatint engraver resulted in a book about Indonesia of outstanding quality: indeed a masterpiece" (Bastin Brommer, pp. 6-7).

Our copy is especially bound in richly gilt vellum by order of J. Dinger to serve as a present for J.A. van Delden, with manuscript presentation on one of the first blanks, dated 1903, and with the small gilt stamped words "Souvenir aan J.A. v. D. van J.D." at the bottom of the spines.      
Fine large-paper copy, in presentation vellum binding.
Abbey, Travel , 554; Tooley 391; Bastin-Brommer, pp. 5-7; a facs.-ed. with introd. by J. Bastin was published in 1991 by the Oxford Univ. Press.

Related Subjects: Aquatints  Cartography  Costumes  Indonesia  Java 

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