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People in China. Thirty-two photographic studies from life -
Ellen Thorbecke, Friedrich Schiff (illustrator)
1935 - George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London - First Edition
A lovely copy, in the scarce original dust jacket. With an introduction by W. J. R. Thorbecke. Illustrated with one colour plate by F. H. Schiff and 32 mounted photographic plates by Ellen Thorbecke.
‘In the 1930's, Dutch photographer Ellen Thorbecke took a series of photos in China with the use of many experimental techniques. Her portraits covered a wide range of people, including an industrialist, a peddler, a student, a country woman, a soldier and so on. Accompanied with every portrait, there was a brief biography about the person. Like her photos, those "micro stories" composed a "macro view" of the Chinese society. While most Westerners were interested in “typical scenes” of China, Thorbecke went beyond producing stock photography by telling the story behind each photo and thus depicting the deeper layer of the Chinese society.’ [Dr. Chong-ho Yu]
Illustrated by Friederich Schiff, an Austrian artist, prolific cartoonist whose work appeared in books, newspapers, magazines and advertisements throughout China and the Far East. They had previously collaborated in 1934 on Peking Studies and on a similar guide book Shanghai in 1938.
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Price HK$ 6,000
1935 - George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., London - First Edition
A lovely copy, in the scarce original dust jacket. With an introduction by W. J. R. Thorbecke. Illustrated with one colour plate by F. H. Schiff and 32 mounted photographic plates by Ellen Thorbecke.‘In the 1930's, Dutch photographer Ellen Thorbecke took a series of photos in China with the use of many experimental techniques. Her portraits covered a wide range of people, including an industrialist, a peddler, a student, a country woman, a soldier and so on. Accompanied with every portrait, there was a brief biography about the person. Like her photos, those "micro stories" composed a "macro view" of the Chinese society. While most Westerners were interested in “typical scenes” of China, Thorbecke went beyond producing stock photography by telling the story behind each photo and thus depicting the deeper layer of the Chinese society.’ [Dr. Chong-ho Yu]
Illustrated by Friederich Schiff, an Austrian artist, prolific cartoonist whose work appeared in books, newspapers, magazines and advertisements throughout China and the Far East. They had previously collaborated in 1934 on Peking Studies and on a similar guide book Shanghai in 1938.
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Price HK$ 6,000
Personal Narrative of a Voyage to Japan, Kamtschatka, Siberia, Tartary, and Various Parts of the Coast of China -
J. M. Tronson R.N.
1859 - Smith, London - First Edition
A handsomely bound first edition of British officer J.M. Tronson’s informative and detailed account of his voyage to Japan, together with extensive chapters on Hong Kong, Siberia, Shanghai, Korea, and various parts of the coast of China.
Tronson accompanied Sir Frederick Henry Stirling’s 1854-6 expedition, during which Stirling negotiated the first trade treaty between Britain and Japan, in Nagasaki. This was a time of great upheaval in Japan as the country had only recently been opened to the West.
Illustrated with 5 folding maps, 8 full page engraved plates including frontispiece, and a number of other engraved vignettes in the text.
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Price HK$ 11,000
1859 - Smith, London - First Edition
A handsomely bound first edition of British officer J.M. Tronson’s informative and detailed account of his voyage to Japan, together with extensive chapters on Hong Kong, Siberia, Shanghai, Korea, and various parts of the coast of China.Tronson accompanied Sir Frederick Henry Stirling’s 1854-6 expedition, during which Stirling negotiated the first trade treaty between Britain and Japan, in Nagasaki. This was a time of great upheaval in Japan as the country had only recently been opened to the West.
Illustrated with 5 folding maps, 8 full page engraved plates including frontispiece, and a number of other engraved vignettes in the text.
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Price HK$ 11,000
An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama, in Tibet; containing A Narrative of a Journey through Bootan, and Part of Tibet. -
Captain Samuel Turner, Lieutenant Samuel Davis, Robert Saunders
1800 - Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for G. and W. Nicol, London - First Edition
A clean wide-margined first edition of ‘the first eye-witness report on Tibet and Bhutan to be published in English.’
It also contains the drawings of Samuel Davis ‘a surveyor and draftsman for the Bengal Army, he accompanied the second British embassy, in 1783, to Druk Yul, the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon. These elegant depictions attest to the only foreign artist “of distinction” to show Bhutan, and the first outsider to paint scenes from these mountains’ [Michael Aris Views of Medieval Bhutan].
In addition, is the marvellously Mona-Lisa’esque ‘Yak of Tartary’, an engraved aquatint by De la Motte of the Bhutanese yak that Turner successfully shipped alive back to Hastings, where it was painted by George Stubbs.
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Price HK$ 33,000
1800 - Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for G. and W. Nicol, London - First Edition
A clean wide-margined first edition of ‘the first eye-witness report on Tibet and Bhutan to be published in English.’It also contains the drawings of Samuel Davis ‘a surveyor and draftsman for the Bengal Army, he accompanied the second British embassy, in 1783, to Druk Yul, the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon. These elegant depictions attest to the only foreign artist “of distinction” to show Bhutan, and the first outsider to paint scenes from these mountains’ [Michael Aris Views of Medieval Bhutan].
In addition, is the marvellously Mona-Lisa’esque ‘Yak of Tartary’, an engraved aquatint by De la Motte of the Bhutanese yak that Turner successfully shipped alive back to Hastings, where it was painted by George Stubbs.
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Price HK$ 33,000
A Pictorial Review of My Service on the Asiatic Station - By A Bluejacket -
V. D. Z.
1914 - Privately Printed, Printed in China (see last image) - First and Only Edition
A photographic record of the U.S.S. Saratoga, the United States flagship of the Asiatic Station in 1912, mostly covering Hong Kong and China. [29 x 22 cm]
Containing 406 black and white illustrations from photographs and three maps, together with index to the numbered photographs and accompanying descriptions. At the rear is an itinerary of ports visited which has been left blank.
‘The photographs where practically all taken by bluejackets off the various ships of the Asiatic Fleet or by Burr Photo Co., Denniston & Sullivan, or Rembrandt’.
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Price HK$ 15,000
1914 - Privately Printed, Printed in China (see last image) - First and Only Edition
A photographic record of the U.S.S. Saratoga, the United States flagship of the Asiatic Station in 1912, mostly covering Hong Kong and China. [29 x 22 cm]Containing 406 black and white illustrations from photographs and three maps, together with index to the numbered photographs and accompanying descriptions. At the rear is an itinerary of ports visited which has been left blank.
‘The photographs where practically all taken by bluejackets off the various ships of the Asiatic Fleet or by Burr Photo Co., Denniston & Sullivan, or Rembrandt’.
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Price HK$ 15,000
The Emperor's Pearl -
Robert H. Van Gulik
1963 - Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York - First American Edition
The eighth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically fifteenth tale, being set in China 669 AD.
With eight illustrations, a plan of Mr Kou’s library, and orange coated endpapers illustrated in white showing the Poo-yang Dragon Boat race in progress, all from Chinese style woodblocks prints by Van Gulik.
The time is 699 A.D. The place is Poo-yang. Here Judge Dee, imperial magistrate, must investigate two deaths: the collapse of a young drummer in the annual dragon-boat race and the murder of a woman in a deserted country estate. The mystery involves the cruel River Goddess, and the legendary Emperor's pearl, as well as a wealthy merchant's lovely, mute, mad wife.
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Price HK$ 1,200
1963 - Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York - First American Edition
The eighth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically fifteenth tale, being set in China 669 AD.With eight illustrations, a plan of Mr Kou’s library, and orange coated endpapers illustrated in white showing the Poo-yang Dragon Boat race in progress, all from Chinese style woodblocks prints by Van Gulik.
The time is 699 A.D. The place is Poo-yang. Here Judge Dee, imperial magistrate, must investigate two deaths: the collapse of a young drummer in the annual dragon-boat race and the murder of a woman in a deserted country estate. The mystery involves the cruel River Goddess, and the legendary Emperor's pearl, as well as a wealthy merchant's lovely, mute, mad wife.
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Price HK$ 1,200
The Phantom of the Temple -
Robert H. Van Gulik
1966 - Heinemann, London - First Edition
The fourteenth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically eighteenth tale, being set in China 670 AD.
With nine illustrations from woodblock prints, and endpapers illustrated with a sketch map of Lan-fang, in Chinese style by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 2,200
1966 - Heinemann, London - First Edition
The fourteenth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically eighteenth tale, being set in China 670 AD.With nine illustrations from woodblock prints, and endpapers illustrated with a sketch map of Lan-fang, in Chinese style by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 2,200
The Red Pavilion -
Robert H. Van Gulik
1964 - Heinemann, London - First English edition (First published by Art Printing Works, Kuala Lumpur, 1961)
The tenth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically fourteenth tale, being set in China 670 AD. Written in Kuala Lumpur whilst Van Gulik was stationed there as Dutch Ambassador to the federation of Malaya
With six illustrations from woodblock prints, and a Sketch Map of Paradise Island, in Chinese style by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 2,900
1964 - Heinemann, London - First English edition (First published by Art Printing Works, Kuala Lumpur, 1961)
The tenth book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically fourteenth tale, being set in China 670 AD. Written in Kuala Lumpur whilst Van Gulik was stationed there as Dutch Ambassador to the federation of MalayaWith six illustrations from woodblock prints, and a Sketch Map of Paradise Island, in Chinese style by Van Gulik.
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Price HK$ 2,900
The Haunted Monastery -
Robert H. Van Gulik
1963 - Heinemann, London - First English Edition (First published by Art Printing Works, Kuala Lumpur, 1961)
A superb copy of the seventh book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically eighth tale, being set in China 677 AD.
With eight illustrations and one plan from woodblock prints by Van Gulik in Chinese style, and endpapers illustrated with a Sketch Map of the Monastery.
‘Judge Dee and his entourage, seeking refuge from a mountain storm, become trapped in a Taoist monastery, where the Abbott Jade mysteriously dies after delivering an ecstatic sermon. The monks call it a supernatural experience, but the judge calls it murder’
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Price HK$ 3,200
1963 - Heinemann, London - First English Edition (First published by Art Printing Works, Kuala Lumpur, 1961)
A superb copy of the seventh book in the Judge Dee series, and chronologically eighth tale, being set in China 677 AD.With eight illustrations and one plan from woodblock prints by Van Gulik in Chinese style, and endpapers illustrated with a Sketch Map of the Monastery.
‘Judge Dee and his entourage, seeking refuge from a mountain storm, become trapped in a Taoist monastery, where the Abbott Jade mysteriously dies after delivering an ecstatic sermon. The monks call it a supernatural experience, but the judge calls it murder’
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Price HK$ 3,200