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Shadow Plays of Peking -
Wang Hsun, Lu Ching Ta (Lu Jing Da)
1953 - People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Peking - First Edition
A large (52 x 38 cm) and rare silk bound and tied folio, presenting the history of Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) shadow play, with 15 stunning full page colour lithographs of Chinese shadow puppets by Lu Ching-ta, and an introduction by Wang Hsu, text in Chinese, together with loose eight page pamphlet giving the title and full introduction in English, and detailed description of each illustration, and in the original dust jacket.
Edited by the Department of Applied Arts, Central Institute of Fine Arts, Beijing.
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Price HK$ 13,000
1953 - People's Fine Arts Publishing House, Peking - First Edition
A large (52 x 38 cm) and rare silk bound and tied folio, presenting the history of Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) shadow play, with 15 stunning full page colour lithographs of Chinese shadow puppets by Lu Ching-ta, and an introduction by Wang Hsu, text in Chinese, together with loose eight page pamphlet giving the title and full introduction in English, and detailed description of each illustration, and in the original dust jacket.Edited by the Department of Applied Arts, Central Institute of Fine Arts, Beijing.
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Price HK$ 13,000
Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 and 1812, to Madras and China - Signed and Inscribed -
James Wathen
1814 - Printed for J. Nichols, London - First Edition
With unique provenance, possibly the author’s own copy, with his name to the title page dated August, 21st, 1814, and later inscribed by Wathen to a Mr. Lane Esq. (initials too floral for us to decipher) of ‘Alfred Place, with his kind regards & best wishes from the Author. Hereford, June 21st, 1825’.
First edition of Wathen’s sumptuously illustrated and entertainingly written work, containing 24 hand-coloured aquatint plates by Clark from drawings by Wathen, consisting of seven views of India, six of Malaysia and Indonesia, nine of China and two of St. Helena.
James Wathen (1751-1828) was a glover by profession and upon retiring he travelled throughout Great Britain and Ireland, sketching, becoming a frequent contributor to publications such as Gentleman’s Magazine (where he was known as Jemmy Sketch). ‘In 1811, being prevented by the war from travelling in Europe, he accompanied Captain James Prendergast in his ship the Hope on a voyage to India and China, in which he visited Madras, Penang, Canton, Macao, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena.’ Publishing his journals, illustrated with his drawings in 1814. ‘His narrative is lively, and his account of eastern life is minute and interesting’. (Dictionary of National Biography).
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Price HK$ 30,000
1814 - Printed for J. Nichols, London - First Edition
With unique provenance, possibly the author’s own copy, with his name to the title page dated August, 21st, 1814, and later inscribed by Wathen to a Mr. Lane Esq. (initials too floral for us to decipher) of ‘Alfred Place, with his kind regards & best wishes from the Author. Hereford, June 21st, 1825’.First edition of Wathen’s sumptuously illustrated and entertainingly written work, containing 24 hand-coloured aquatint plates by Clark from drawings by Wathen, consisting of seven views of India, six of Malaysia and Indonesia, nine of China and two of St. Helena.
James Wathen (1751-1828) was a glover by profession and upon retiring he travelled throughout Great Britain and Ireland, sketching, becoming a frequent contributor to publications such as Gentleman’s Magazine (where he was known as Jemmy Sketch). ‘In 1811, being prevented by the war from travelling in Europe, he accompanied Captain James Prendergast in his ship the Hope on a voyage to India and China, in which he visited Madras, Penang, Canton, Macao, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena.’ Publishing his journals, illustrated with his drawings in 1814. ‘His narrative is lively, and his account of eastern life is minute and interesting’. (Dictionary of National Biography).
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Price HK$ 30,000
Mono-Alu Folklore (Bougainville Strait, Western Solomon Islands) -
Gerald Camden Wheeler
1926 - George Routledge & Sons, London - First Edition
The collection of Tales and Song Texts here given was made during a stay in Alu and Mono, Bougainville Strait, Western Solomon Islands in 1908-9 for ethnological research. Most of them were taken down from the dictation of the Mono-Alu man Bitiai, a blind man, son of the late chief Big Gorai. The song texts were given from dictation without the music. In the case of eight of the tales, the author had no Mono text. Many of the tales though gathered by Wheeler in Alu or in Mono, come from outside the islands in the Bougainville Strait, from Buim (South Bougainville). Mono is known as Treasure Island, Alu as Shorthand Island; with Fauru they may be grouped as the islands of the Bougainville Strait. - From the introduction.
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Price HK$ 1,200
1926 - George Routledge & Sons, London - First Edition
The collection of Tales and Song Texts here given was made during a stay in Alu and Mono, Bougainville Strait, Western Solomon Islands in 1908-9 for ethnological research. Most of them were taken down from the dictation of the Mono-Alu man Bitiai, a blind man, son of the late chief Big Gorai. The song texts were given from dictation without the music. In the case of eight of the tales, the author had no Mono text. Many of the tales though gathered by Wheeler in Alu or in Mono, come from outside the islands in the Bougainville Strait, from Buim (South Bougainville). Mono is known as Treasure Island, Alu as Shorthand Island; with Fauru they may be grouped as the islands of the Bougainville Strait. - From the introduction.
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Price HK$ 1,200
A Missionary Voyage to the Southern Pacific Ocean, Performed in the Years 1796, 1797, 1798, -
Captain James Wilson, Wlliam Wilson, James Morrison, Samuel Greatheed
1799 - Printed for T. Chapman by T. Gillet, London - First Edition [The Gillet Edition]
Account of the first missionary voyage to the South Seas, and an important work in relation to Australia as well. A large quarto volume with six engraved plates and seven folding engraved maps, in contemporary binding.
‘The London Missionary Society was founded in 1795, mainly to send missions to Polynesia. The voyage of the Duff was undertaken for the purpose of establishing a mission in Tahiti, and a settlement of twenty-five persons was formed. Apart from the missionary interest of this account, the voyagers made many important discoveries of islands, including Timoe, Mangareva, and Pakarua in the Tuamoto Archipelago; Ongea and Fulanga Islands; Vanua Mbalavu, and Satawal, Lamotrek, Elato, Ifalik, and Woleai atolls in the Western Carolines, before putting in at Macao. A new group of islands, named the Duff Group, was discovered among the Santa Cruz Islands. On the outward voyage, the expedition visited Rio de Janeiro.
The narrative is fresh, although sometimes naive, and provides a glimpse of everyday life on the islands that the mariner or naturalist didn't consider worth reporting.’ -Hill, Pacific Voyages.
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Price HK$ 6,000
1799 - Printed for T. Chapman by T. Gillet, London - First Edition [The Gillet Edition]
Account of the first missionary voyage to the South Seas, and an important work in relation to Australia as well. A large quarto volume with six engraved plates and seven folding engraved maps, in contemporary binding.‘The London Missionary Society was founded in 1795, mainly to send missions to Polynesia. The voyage of the Duff was undertaken for the purpose of establishing a mission in Tahiti, and a settlement of twenty-five persons was formed. Apart from the missionary interest of this account, the voyagers made many important discoveries of islands, including Timoe, Mangareva, and Pakarua in the Tuamoto Archipelago; Ongea and Fulanga Islands; Vanua Mbalavu, and Satawal, Lamotrek, Elato, Ifalik, and Woleai atolls in the Western Carolines, before putting in at Macao. A new group of islands, named the Duff Group, was discovered among the Santa Cruz Islands. On the outward voyage, the expedition visited Rio de Janeiro.
The narrative is fresh, although sometimes naive, and provides a glimpse of everyday life on the islands that the mariner or naturalist didn't consider worth reporting.’ -Hill, Pacific Voyages.
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Price HK$ 6,000
Eighteen Hundred Miles On a Burmese Tat. Through Burmah, Siam, and the Eastern Shan States by an Ordinary British Subaltern -
Lieutenant G. J. Younghusband
1888 - W. H. Allen & Co., London - First Edition
‘The following pages give an account of a journey made during six months' leave in the beginning of 1887. They do not profess to any literary merit whatever, but are merely a faithful record of new countries and new nations, as seen with the eyes of an ORDINARY BRITISH SUBALTERN.‘
The journey was made on horseback through Burma and Thailand, from Moulmein (Mawlamyine), 300 kilometres south of Rangoon (Yangon) north to Kengtung on the borders of China, Thailand, and Laos, and then all the way south to Bangkok via Chiang Mai. All outlined on the fold out ‘Skeleton Map of Siam’ to the rear.
Younghusband is an entertaining and observant writer, and his amateur sketches illustrate the book throughout, these are spread over thirteen full page plates (one of which folds out, and one is a duplicate).
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Price HK$ 6,000
1888 - W. H. Allen & Co., London - First Edition
‘The following pages give an account of a journey made during six months' leave in the beginning of 1887. They do not profess to any literary merit whatever, but are merely a faithful record of new countries and new nations, as seen with the eyes of an ORDINARY BRITISH SUBALTERN.‘The journey was made on horseback through Burma and Thailand, from Moulmein (Mawlamyine), 300 kilometres south of Rangoon (Yangon) north to Kengtung on the borders of China, Thailand, and Laos, and then all the way south to Bangkok via Chiang Mai. All outlined on the fold out ‘Skeleton Map of Siam’ to the rear.
Younghusband is an entertaining and observant writer, and his amateur sketches illustrate the book throughout, these are spread over thirteen full page plates (one of which folds out, and one is a duplicate).
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Price HK$ 6,000