Asia / Illustrated Works & Prints

[BALBI, Gasparo]. DE BRY, Johann Theodor. Indiae Orientalis pars septima [...].Including: Icones, hoc est verae variorum populorum et regum, ceremoniarum item, superstitiosorum rituum et rerum aliarum, ...
Frankfurt, Wolfgang Richter, 1606. Folio (32.5 x 20 cm). With the letterpress title within an engraved architectural border, an individual letterpress title-page for the Icones, an engraved coat of arms on the dedication leaf, 20 engravings in text and 2 double-page engraved plates. 20th-century green half morocco. Full description

BLAND, William. Boats of H.M's S. Wolf, commanded by Lieutt. J.A. Macdonald attacking Malay pirates, at Point Romania, 24th March 1836.
Calcutta, Asiatic Lithographic Press (Thomas Black), 1837. Large oblong folio? (33.5 x 47 cm). Lithographed maritime view on wove paper (dimensions to the thin-line border 27.5 x 45.5 cm), showing H.M.S. Wolf's pinnace and cutter, and British East India Company's ship Zephyr's gunboat fighting 18 Malayan perahus, while the rescued Asian ship Mas Judal Bahar and the Wolf and Zephyr look on from the horizon. Full description

BRETON DE LA MARTINIÈRE, Jean-Baptiste Joseph. La Chine en miniature, ou choix de costumes, arts et métiers de cet empire, [vols. 1-4:] représentés par 74 [recté 76] gravures [vols. 5-6: représentés par 28 gravures], la plupart d'après les originaux inédits du cabinet du feu M. Bertin.
Paris, A. Nepveu (vols. 1-4 printed by Demonville, vols. 5-6 by Le Normant), 1811-1812. 6 volumes bound as 2. 18mo (14 x 9 cm). With 4 engraved frontispieces and 104 other engraved plates (8 folding), all finely coloured by a contemporary hand. Contemporary richly gold-tooled dark green grained morocco, gold-tooled spine, boards, board edges and turn-ins, gilt edges, with the name of the binder on spine: R.P. CHILLIAT. Full description

[BRUYN, Abraham de]. Omnium pene Europae, Asiae, Aphricae atque Americae gentium habitus. | Habits de diverses nations de l[']Europe, Asie, Afrique et Ameriqe[!].| Trachtenbuch: Der furnembsten Nationen und Volcker Kleydungen beyde Manns und Weybs personen in Europa Asia Africa und America.
[Antwerp, successors to] Joos de Bosscher, [ca. 1600]. Engraved print series with title-page, a leaf with a 10-line verse about clothing, a leaf with 2 portraitsm, and 61 costume plates (numbered 1-58 plus 28.1, 28.2 and 28.3).
With: (2) [BRUYN, Abraham de]. Exhibemus hoc libello Romani Pontificis, Episcoporum, Monachorum, aliorumque sacerdotum, quorum aliquid scire potuimus, imagines.
Antwerp, [successors to] Joos de Bosscher, "1581" [= ca. 1600]. Engraved print series with title-page and 18 numbered costume plates. 2 works in 1 volume. Small oblong 1mo (25.5 x 36.5 cm). 19th-century half red goatskin morocco, gold-tooled spine. Full description

GARNIER, Francis, Louis DELAPORTE, Eugene JOUBERT and Clovis THOREL. Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine effectué pendant les années 1866, 1867 et 1868 par une commission française présidée par M. le capitaine de frégate Doudart de Lagrée et publié par les ordres du ministre de la marine…
Paris, Hachette & Co (back of half-title: printed by Corbeil), 1873. 2 text volumes (4to) and 1 atlas volume (folio; 2 parts in 1 vol.). With hundreds of wood engravings in text, 17 chromoxylographed maps, 36 tinted lithographed plates and 11 chromolithographed plates. Volume 1 in modern red half morocco, gilt edges. Volume 2 in contemporary half morocco, gilt edges. Atlas volume in modern red half morocco. Full description

HAZART, Cornelius. Kerckelycke historie vande gheheele wereldt, namelyck vande voorgaende ende teghenwoordighe eeuwe, ...
Antwerpen, Michiel Cnobbaert, 1667-1671. 4 volumes. Folio. With an engraved frontispiece in each volume; volume 1 with a title-page printed in red and black and 45 engraved plates; volume 2 with 17 engraved plates; volume 3 with 37 engraved plates; volume 4 with 19 engraved plates (total of 122 engraved plates, incl. frontispieces). Contemporary mottled, tanned sheepskin, gold-tooled spines. Full description

HOOGHE, Romeyn de. Victorien der Nederl. Geoct. O. Compagnie op het Koninkryck van Macasser door den Ed. heer C. Speelman.
[Amsterdam?, 1669]. Engraved view (40 x 54.5 cm), with two battle scenes on top, flanked by portraits of Speelman and Radjah Palacca, with in the centre a laurel wreath with the monogram of the VOC, surrounded by Mars and Mercury, and a banderole with the title; and with letterpress text below the view (11 x 54.5 cm), including two poems by the famous Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel and numbered keys referring to the plate. Framed (75 x 81 cm). Full description

NIEUHOF, Johan. Die Gesantschaft der Ost-Indischen Geselschaft in den Vereinigten Niederländern, an den Tartarischen Cham, und nunmehr auch Sinischen Keyser, verrichtet durch die Herren Peter de Gojern, und Jacob Keisern. Itzund zum zweiten mahle hier und dar verbessert, und üm ein guhtes theil vermehret, heraus gegeben.
Amsterdam, Jacob van Meurs, 1669. Folio (31 x 21 cm). With engraved title-page, engraved author's portrait, large folding engraved map of China, 34 double-page engraved plates and 110 half-page engravings in the text (topographic, botanical & zoological, costume, architectural, etc.), all coloured by a contemporary hand. The engraved title-page shows the Emperor of China with what must be Blaeu's 68 cm terrestrial globe (showing India & Ceylon, Southeast Asia, China, Japan & Korea, the East Indies and western Australia). Contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards. Full description

OVERMEER FISSCHER, Johannes Frederik van. Bijdrage tot de kennis van het Japansche Rijk, ...
Amsterdam, J. Müller & Comp. (printed by C.A. Spin), 1833. Royal 4to (30.5 x 25.5 cm). With 15 lithographed views, scenes, etc. (including frontispiece), in decorative borders, showing Japanese costumes, people of various trades and professions, calligraphy, a map with view of Mount Fugi, etc., all in striking hand-colouring. Original publisher's deluxe gold and blind-tooled red sheepskin in a panel design by J.H. Peters, gilt edges, and with the original pictorial wrappers, lithographed on yellow paper, bound in. Rebacked, with the original backstrip laid down. Full description

[PANCARAKSA]. [Pancaraksa sutra (Sutra of the five-fold protection)].
[Lalitpur(?) in Nepal, ca. 1840]. (9.5 x 35 x 11 cm). Nepalese manuscript in Sanskrit, written in black ink on sturdy haritalika paper (9 x 35 cm). With 5 miniatures (each 9 x 6.5 cm) delicately rendered in colour and silver, each showing a different female protective deity (in various colours, with 6 to 12 arms, each deity supported by a pair of animals or people). With at least five small rosettes in the text, apparently signalling points in the text. Loose between contemporary wooden boards (1 cm thick), the upper one elaborately carved with 5 decorated arches in a decorated border, each arch containing a figure of one of the pancatathagata (five great Buddhas) in lotus position. Full description