An Authentic Account of an embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China -
Sir George Staunton, Earl of Macartney, Sir Erasmus Gower
1797 - Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for G, London - First Edition
A clean and exquisitely bound set of this cornerstone of China related travel literature, together with the magnificent Elephant Folio Atlas showing forty-four engraved maps and plates (mainly after Alexander), of which two are folding and six are double-page.
‘An account of the first British embassy to China, under Lord Macartney. Great Britain was anxious to establish formal diplomatic relations with China and thus open the way for unimpeded trade relations, but centuries of Chinese reserve and self-sufficiency presented a formidable obstacle to the embassy, and the Chinese emperor effectually resisted Lord Macartney’s arguments and gifts. The visit of the British embassy nonetheless resulted in this remarkable account of Chinese manners and customs at the close of the eighteenth century’ - The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages.
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Price HK$ 220,000
1797 - Printed by W. Bulmer and Co. for G, London - First Edition
A clean and exquisitely bound set of this cornerstone of China related travel literature, together with the magnificent Elephant Folio Atlas showing forty-four engraved maps and plates (mainly after Alexander), of which two are folding and six are double-page.‘An account of the first British embassy to China, under Lord Macartney. Great Britain was anxious to establish formal diplomatic relations with China and thus open the way for unimpeded trade relations, but centuries of Chinese reserve and self-sufficiency presented a formidable obstacle to the embassy, and the Chinese emperor effectually resisted Lord Macartney’s arguments and gifts. The visit of the British embassy nonetheless resulted in this remarkable account of Chinese manners and customs at the close of the eighteenth century’ - The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages.
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Price HK$ 220,000
My Days With the Fairies -
Mrs. Rodolph Stawell, Edmund Dulac (Illustrator)
1913 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Edition
An elegantly bound magical collection of seventeen children fairy stories, including ‘The Bird of Shadows and the Sun-Bird’; ‘The Adventurous Life of an Acorn-Fairy’; ‘The Box of Dreams’; and ‘The Sea-Fairy and the Land-Fairy’.
Enhanced by eight of Dulac’s most beautiful illustrations tipped on to beige decorated card, each with a lettered tissue guard.
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Price HK$ 5,500
1913 - Hodder and Stoughton, London - First Edition
An elegantly bound magical collection of seventeen children fairy stories, including ‘The Bird of Shadows and the Sun-Bird’; ‘The Adventurous Life of an Acorn-Fairy’; ‘The Box of Dreams’; and ‘The Sea-Fairy and the Land-Fairy’.Enhanced by eight of Dulac’s most beautiful illustrations tipped on to beige decorated card, each with a lettered tissue guard.
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Price HK$ 5,500
An Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava -
Michael Symes
1800 - W. Bulmer and Co., London - First Edition, Large Paper Copy
A stunning and rare large paper copy of ‘the first full account of Burma to be published’, finely illustrated with two folding engraved maps, eighteen engraved plates, and eight engraved botanical plates (four of which are folding). In contemporary full polished calf armourial binding of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet, and once housed in the Hoare Library at Stourhead.
Michael Symes was sent by Sir John Shore, governor-general of India, on a mission to Ava in Burma, to obtain from the emperor of Ava a permit to allow a British agent to reside at Rangoon, and to induce him to close his borders to French shipping. In diplomatic terms Symes’ mission was a success.
His detailed account, is highly interesting with keen observations and insight. ‘It is a mass of information on the history, religion, government, social systems, language, geography and economy of Burma, together with a narrative of Symes’ seven months stay in Burma, his journey to the capital and reception at court.’
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Price HK$ 42,000
1800 - W. Bulmer and Co., London - First Edition, Large Paper Copy
A stunning and rare large paper copy of ‘the first full account of Burma to be published’, finely illustrated with two folding engraved maps, eighteen engraved plates, and eight engraved botanical plates (four of which are folding). In contemporary full polished calf armourial binding of Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet, and once housed in the Hoare Library at Stourhead.Michael Symes was sent by Sir John Shore, governor-general of India, on a mission to Ava in Burma, to obtain from the emperor of Ava a permit to allow a British agent to reside at Rangoon, and to induce him to close his borders to French shipping. In diplomatic terms Symes’ mission was a success.
His detailed account, is highly interesting with keen observations and insight. ‘It is a mass of information on the history, religion, government, social systems, language, geography and economy of Burma, together with a narrative of Symes’ seven months stay in Burma, his journey to the capital and reception at court.’
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Price HK$ 42,000
The Complete Works of Lyof N. Tolstoi - Twenty Four Volumes -
Count Lyof [Lev] N. Tolstoï [Tolstoy], Nathan Haskell Dole, Isabel Hapgood, Louise Maude (translators)
1898-1899 - E. R. DuMont, New York - The Emancipation Edition
A finely bound twenty four volume set of Tolstoy’s complete works, including Anna Karenina; War and Peace; Resurrection; The Death of Ivan Ilyich; The Cossacks; A Confession; Sevastopol; The Kreutzer Sonata; What I Believe; The Kingdom of God Is Within You; etc.
Each volume illustrated with a frontispiece, many in colour, and a number of additional plates. With introductions by the translators, mostly Nathan Doyle, some with additional prefaces by the author, and for some of the longer works there is a useful summary of the principal characters.
Described by Dole as the first properly complete edition of Tolstoy in English, including several revised translations making far greater use of the original Russian.
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Price HK$ 33,000
1898-1899 - E. R. DuMont, New York - The Emancipation Edition
A finely bound twenty four volume set of Tolstoy’s complete works, including Anna Karenina; War and Peace; Resurrection; The Death of Ivan Ilyich; The Cossacks; A Confession; Sevastopol; The Kreutzer Sonata; What I Believe; The Kingdom of God Is Within You; etc.Each volume illustrated with a frontispiece, many in colour, and a number of additional plates. With introductions by the translators, mostly Nathan Doyle, some with additional prefaces by the author, and for some of the longer works there is a useful summary of the principal characters.
Described by Dole as the first properly complete edition of Tolstoy in English, including several revised translations making far greater use of the original Russian.
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Price HK$ 33,000
Record of the University Boat Race, 1829-1880 and of the Commemoration Dinner 1881 -
George G. T. Treherne, J. H. D. Goldie
1883 - Bickers & Son, London - First Edition
James Neville McQueen’s own copy. McQueen (page 83) rowed bow in the 1860 Oxford crew, and according to Goldie ‘a better race than that of 1860 has seldom been seen’ (page 173).
Illustrated with two large and beautiful engraved plates - A Boat-race on the Cam in 1838, and The Oxford Boat in 1829, as well a facsimile of The Card of the Invitation to Dinner, a Plan of the Tables, and two vignettes titled The Old Style and The New Style. A copy of the ornate and decorated original letter press Menu is also tipped in.
‘The account of the dinner is followed by verbatim reports of the speeches, the text of two odes on the jubilee of the race, and alphabetical lists of Blues. The analytical appendices include summaries of the races, and lists of the schools, colleges, academic and athletic honours and subsequent professions of the oarsmen and coxswains. No less than 188 of 285 took Holy Orders.
Pages 131 to 201, Old Blues and Their Battles, give a detailed account of each race by W. B. Woodgate, slightly altered by the compilers.’ – Brittain, Oar, Scull & Rudder .
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Price HK$ 4,500
1883 - Bickers & Son, London - First Edition
James Neville McQueen’s own copy. McQueen (page 83) rowed bow in the 1860 Oxford crew, and according to Goldie ‘a better race than that of 1860 has seldom been seen’ (page 173).Illustrated with two large and beautiful engraved plates - A Boat-race on the Cam in 1838, and The Oxford Boat in 1829, as well a facsimile of The Card of the Invitation to Dinner, a Plan of the Tables, and two vignettes titled The Old Style and The New Style. A copy of the ornate and decorated original letter press Menu is also tipped in.
‘The account of the dinner is followed by verbatim reports of the speeches, the text of two odes on the jubilee of the race, and alphabetical lists of Blues. The analytical appendices include summaries of the races, and lists of the schools, colleges, academic and athletic honours and subsequent professions of the oarsmen and coxswains. No less than 188 of 285 took Holy Orders.
Pages 131 to 201, Old Blues and Their Battles, give a detailed account of each race by W. B. Woodgate, slightly altered by the compilers.’ – Brittain, Oar, Scull & Rudder .
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Price HK$ 4,500
The Prince and the Pauper. A Tale for Young People of All Ages -
Mark Twain [Samuel L. Clemens]
1882 - James R Osgood and Company, Boston - First Edition, First Issue
The hilarious adventures of Tom Canty, a ragged street urchin who bears a striking resemblance to Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Longing to experience the excitement of the outside world, the young prince persuades Tom to exchange places in society.
Finely bound and wonderfully illustrated throughout with 192 in text engravings by by Frank Thayer Merrill and John Harley.
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Price HK$ 7,000
1882 - James R Osgood and Company, Boston - First Edition, First Issue
The hilarious adventures of Tom Canty, a ragged street urchin who bears a striking resemblance to Edward VI, son of Henry VIII. Longing to experience the excitement of the outside world, the young prince persuades Tom to exchange places in society.Finely bound and wonderfully illustrated throughout with 192 in text engravings by by Frank Thayer Merrill and John Harley.
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Price HK$ 7,000
Works of Jules Verne -
Jules Verne, Charles F. Horne (editor)
1911 - Vincent Parke and Company, New York - Prince of Wales Edition, Number 25 of 500 Limited Copies
‘The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived’ – Arthur C. Clarke
A superb 15 volume limited edition set of the works of Jules Verne, handsomely bound, each illustrated with full page colour and tinted plates protected by descriptive tissue guards.
This collection features Verne’s most famous stories, including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, From the Earth to the Moon, Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Mysterious Island, and Around the World in Eighty Days, among many others.
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Price HK$ 38,000
1911 - Vincent Parke and Company, New York - Prince of Wales Edition, Number 25 of 500 Limited Copies
‘The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived’ – Arthur C. ClarkeA superb 15 volume limited edition set of the works of Jules Verne, handsomely bound, each illustrated with full page colour and tinted plates protected by descriptive tissue guards.
This collection features Verne’s most famous stories, including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, From the Earth to the Moon, Five Weeks in a Balloon, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Mysterious Island, and Around the World in Eighty Days, among many others.
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Price HK$ 38,000
The Compleat Angler. -
Izaak Walton, Charles Cotton
1929 - The Nonesuch Press, London - Number 18 of 1600 limited copies. First Thus, Illustrated by Thomas Poulton and Charles Sigrist
‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries,
" Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
An elegant limited edition of this handsomely produced edition of Izaak Walton's works, printed on fine laid paper, and edited by Geoffrey Keynes.
Wonderfully illustrated with six copperplate portraits of Walton, Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, and Sanderson, engraved by A. Alexander and Son with tissue; ten drawings of fish and lead weight by Charles Sigrist printed from line blocks and hand-coloured through stencil by the Curwen Press; and two seals of Donne redrawn by Thomas Poulton and printed in red.
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Price HK$ 3,000
1929 - The Nonesuch Press, London - Number 18 of 1600 limited copies. First Thus, Illustrated by Thomas Poulton and Charles Sigrist
‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, " Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
An elegant limited edition of this handsomely produced edition of Izaak Walton's works, printed on fine laid paper, and edited by Geoffrey Keynes.
Wonderfully illustrated with six copperplate portraits of Walton, Donne, Wotton, Hooker, Herbert, and Sanderson, engraved by A. Alexander and Son with tissue; ten drawings of fish and lead weight by Charles Sigrist printed from line blocks and hand-coloured through stencil by the Curwen Press; and two seals of Donne redrawn by Thomas Poulton and printed in red.
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Price HK$ 3,000