Extremely rare complete set of all 44 volumes (published from 1729 to 1803) of the most extensive Dutch description of the world. The Tegenwoordige staat-series is an elaborately illustrated, historical, geographical and anthropological work. Aside from the volumes on the Low Countries and Europe, the series also contains detailed descriptions of most of the rest of the world. The description of Asia includes smaller kingdoms and regions, the many Southeast Asian islands, India, the mighty empires of Japan and China, and in a broader sense central Asia. A separate volume is dedicated to the description of the Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula and notably a description and illustration of the Kaaba in the holy city of Makkah (Mecca). Other volumes detail and illustrate the (natural) history and other noteworthy information of the Americas, Africa and Europe.
The present series consists of 44 volumes and includes a complete set of 386 maps, plans, views, and other illustrations. The majority of the illustrations were engraved by Jan Caspar Philips (ca. 1690-1775). Most portraits were designed and engraved by Jacob Houbraken (1698-1780), while the maps were based on those of cartographers like Herman Moll (1654?-1732). Most of these maps were specially commissioned by Tirion to be published in the Tegenwoordige staat series and Tirion's other topographical works.
The 44 volumes and all maps and illustrations were initially also separately available: customers could decide whether they wanted to include all, some or none of the illustrations to the specific volumes they wanted. Surviving copies of this series thus appear in different states of completeness and most often appear as separate volumes or smaller subsets of volumes on the market. This makes a complete set quite hard to come by, especially one containing all illustrations.
Bindings show slight signs of wear, some hinges are slightly weakened, occasional very slight foxing and water staining throughout the vols. The engraved allegorical title-page of volume 3 is missing, otherwise all other engraved title-pages and the complete set of 386 illustrations are present. Vol 41 has been bound together with a duplicate part of vol. 44. This extensive series is in good condition and it is very rare for a complete set of this work to appear on the market. Cordier, Indosinica, coll. 731 (erroneously mentions notes 43 instead of 44 vols.); Cordier, Sinica, coll. 44 (whole series up to 1793, missing lacking 4 vols.); STCN; Sloos, warfare and the age of printing; Tiele, Bibl. 1033 (erroneously mentions notes 43 vols instead of 44 vols. but does lists all 44 separately).