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Voyage dans les Mers de l'Inde -
Guillaume Joseph Le Gentil de la Galaisiere
1779 - Imprimerie Royale, Paris - First Editions
‘Two monumental volumes... crammed with details on astronomy, navigation, and natural history... His descriptions of life in Manila, Pondicherry, and Madagascar are invaluable’ (Dunmore).
A stunning set In contemporary bindings and illustrated with twenty seven folding copper engravings showing two world maps, maps charts and plans of Eastern and Western Philippines, Bay of Manila, Philippine Harbours, Manilla, Madagascar and it’s coastline, Isle de France (Mauritius), Isle de Bourbon (Réunion), Quartier S. Denis on Réunion, Eastern and Western Straits of Malacca, and Pondicherry. Together with engraved plates of animals and plant life, the ruins of Pondicherry, pagodas, Indian deities, and charts of comets and constellations.
‘In addition to the scientific details for which the voyage was undertaken, the first volume treats of the manners, customs, and religion or the people of the Malabar Coast and of the astronomy of the Brahmins. The second volume contains elaborate accounts of the Philippine Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Bourbon and their inhabitants, including views and charts of the Philippines. Le Gentil gives details of the Islands, their climate, volcanoes, fertility, fruits, birds, animals, peoples, language, history, and description of Manila, the government, ecclesiastical and civil, commerce, &c.’ (Edwards).
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Price HK$ 51,000
1779 - Imprimerie Royale, Paris - First Editions
‘Two monumental volumes... crammed with details on astronomy, navigation, and natural history... His descriptions of life in Manila, Pondicherry, and Madagascar are invaluable’ (Dunmore). A stunning set In contemporary bindings and illustrated with twenty seven folding copper engravings showing two world maps, maps charts and plans of Eastern and Western Philippines, Bay of Manila, Philippine Harbours, Manilla, Madagascar and it’s coastline, Isle de France (Mauritius), Isle de Bourbon (Réunion), Quartier S. Denis on Réunion, Eastern and Western Straits of Malacca, and Pondicherry. Together with engraved plates of animals and plant life, the ruins of Pondicherry, pagodas, Indian deities, and charts of comets and constellations.
‘In addition to the scientific details for which the voyage was undertaken, the first volume treats of the manners, customs, and religion or the people of the Malabar Coast and of the astronomy of the Brahmins. The second volume contains elaborate accounts of the Philippine Islands, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Bourbon and their inhabitants, including views and charts of the Philippines. Le Gentil gives details of the Islands, their climate, volcanoes, fertility, fruits, birds, animals, peoples, language, history, and description of Manila, the government, ecclesiastical and civil, commerce, &c.’ (Edwards).
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Price HK$ 51,000
The Casuarina Tree - Six Stories -
William Somerset Maugham
1926 - William Heinemann Ltd., London - First Edition
First edition in the scarce dust jacket designed by Ralph Keene
Maugham’s collection of short stories by set in the Federated Malay States during the 1920s, including one of his most aclaimed ‘The Outsider’.
by W. Somerset Maugham. The stories are loosely based on Maugham's experiences traveling in the region for about a year
With a short introduction entitled ‘The Casuarina Tree’ followed by the stories – ‘Before the Party’, ‘P. & O.’, ‘The Outstation’, ‘The Force of Circumstance’, ‘The Yellow Streak’, and ‘The Letter’.
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Price HK$ 40,000
1926 - William Heinemann Ltd., London - First Edition
First edition in the scarce dust jacket designed by Ralph KeeneMaugham’s collection of short stories by set in the Federated Malay States during the 1920s, including one of his most aclaimed ‘The Outsider’.
by W. Somerset Maugham. The stories are loosely based on Maugham's experiences traveling in the region for about a year
With a short introduction entitled ‘The Casuarina Tree’ followed by the stories – ‘Before the Party’, ‘P. & O.’, ‘The Outstation’, ‘The Force of Circumstance’, ‘The Yellow Streak’, and ‘The Letter’.
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Price HK$ 40,000
Antiquarian, Architectural, and Landscape Illustrations of the History of Java -
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
1844 - Henry G. Bohn, London - First Thus
Magnificent large quarto volume of illustrations with great provenance, formerly from the library of Admiral Sir James Gordon (1782-1869) who served as a Midshipman under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and went on to command ships during the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually attained the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and is considered to be one of the main inspirations for C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower, alongside Thomas Cochrane, George Cockburn and others.
This separate volume of topographical, archaeological, linguistic and anthropological plates was published in 1844 to accompany the 1830 second edition of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landmark work ‘The History of Java’, including twenty four additional plates not found in the first edition of 1817.
With 92 illustrated plates, including 10 fine hand-coloured aquatints and a very large folding map. No text. In the publisher’s original gilt and red cloth binding.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1844 - Henry G. Bohn, London - First Thus
Magnificent large quarto volume of illustrations with great provenance, formerly from the library of Admiral Sir James Gordon (1782-1869) who served as a Midshipman under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and went on to command ships during the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually attained the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and is considered to be one of the main inspirations for C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower, alongside Thomas Cochrane, George Cockburn and others.This separate volume of topographical, archaeological, linguistic and anthropological plates was published in 1844 to accompany the 1830 second edition of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landmark work ‘The History of Java’, including twenty four additional plates not found in the first edition of 1817.
With 92 illustrated plates, including 10 fine hand-coloured aquatints and a very large folding map. No text. In the publisher’s original gilt and red cloth binding.
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Price HK$ 18,000
The History of Java -
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
1817 - Printed for Black, London - First Edition
A beautiful first edition set of this landmark work one of only 900 copies, formerly from the library of Lord Grenville in his contemporary armourial bindings.
A magnificent survey of the customs, dress, language, religion, culture, and history of the Javanese people as written by Thomas Stamford Raffles, British colonial agent cum Imperial statesman and later founder of modern Singapore. Illustrated throughout.
‘The marriage of a scientifically original text with beautiful illustrations by an accomplished aquatint engraver resulted in a book about Indonesia of outstanding quality; indeed a masterpiece.’ - Bastin and Brommer.
Those illustrations include a large folding engraved Map of Java outlined in colour, ten finely hand coloured aquatint costume plates engraved by William Daniell who visited the island in 1785 and 1793, two soft-ground etched frontispieces, nine engraved vignettes, and fifty six black and white plates which include one map, seven of temples (one of which is double page), two musical scores, ten of alphabets and inscriptions, eight of weapons and tools, two of musical instruments and masks, and twenty six others.
‘In 1817 appeared the monumental work of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826). He was interested in every aspect of his subject, and devotes whole sections to Javan ethics, literature, poetry, music and musical instruments, drama, games of skill and methods of hunting, besides the more ordinary matters of interest, population, natural history, religion, antiquities, and the military system. At the end of the second volume a hundred and fifty pages are given up to the comparative vocabularies of Java and the neighbouring islands, and the whole is a unique monument erected by a great ruler to those over whom he rules, and incidentally, to his own honour, stands very high in its own class and the aquatint plates are full of interest’ - Prideaux.
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Price HK$ 85,000
1817 - Printed for Black, London - First Edition
A beautiful first edition set of this landmark work one of only 900 copies, formerly from the library of Lord Grenville in his contemporary armourial bindings.A magnificent survey of the customs, dress, language, religion, culture, and history of the Javanese people as written by Thomas Stamford Raffles, British colonial agent cum Imperial statesman and later founder of modern Singapore. Illustrated throughout.
‘The marriage of a scientifically original text with beautiful illustrations by an accomplished aquatint engraver resulted in a book about Indonesia of outstanding quality; indeed a masterpiece.’ - Bastin and Brommer.
Those illustrations include a large folding engraved Map of Java outlined in colour, ten finely hand coloured aquatint costume plates engraved by William Daniell who visited the island in 1785 and 1793, two soft-ground etched frontispieces, nine engraved vignettes, and fifty six black and white plates which include one map, seven of temples (one of which is double page), two musical scores, ten of alphabets and inscriptions, eight of weapons and tools, two of musical instruments and masks, and twenty six others.
‘In 1817 appeared the monumental work of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826). He was interested in every aspect of his subject, and devotes whole sections to Javan ethics, literature, poetry, music and musical instruments, drama, games of skill and methods of hunting, besides the more ordinary matters of interest, population, natural history, religion, antiquities, and the military system. At the end of the second volume a hundred and fifty pages are given up to the comparative vocabularies of Java and the neighbouring islands, and the whole is a unique monument erected by a great ruler to those over whom he rules, and incidentally, to his own honour, stands very high in its own class and the aquatint plates are full of interest’ - Prideaux.
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Price HK$ 85,000
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
Exploration of Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo -
John Whitehead
1893 - Gurney and Jackson, London - First Edition
A beautiful copy of this stunningly illustrated and unsurpassed large folio containing 32 lithographed plates, comprising 11 natural history plates, hand-coloured and heightened with gum arabic, and 21 tinted lithographed views and ethnographic subjects, and with map and an additional 21 woodcut illustrations in the text.
A detailed narrative of John Whitehead's (1860-1899) travels from October 1884 to August 1888 in Borneo, Java, Palawan and Balabac Islands, especially of his three efforts (the last one successful) to ascend Mount Kina Balu. He brought back examples of many new animals, including no fewer than forty-five new species of birds. The author's primary interest was ornithology, but he also provides much information on head-hunting, religion and custom of the peoples of the region. Besides visiting North Borneo he spent several months in Java and Palawan, and made an expedition into the state of Malacca.
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Price HK$ 40,000
1893 - Gurney and Jackson, London - First Edition
A beautiful copy of this stunningly illustrated and unsurpassed large folio containing 32 lithographed plates, comprising 11 natural history plates, hand-coloured and heightened with gum arabic, and 21 tinted lithographed views and ethnographic subjects, and with map and an additional 21 woodcut illustrations in the text.A detailed narrative of John Whitehead's (1860-1899) travels from October 1884 to August 1888 in Borneo, Java, Palawan and Balabac Islands, especially of his three efforts (the last one successful) to ascend Mount Kina Balu. He brought back examples of many new animals, including no fewer than forty-five new species of birds. The author's primary interest was ornithology, but he also provides much information on head-hunting, religion and custom of the peoples of the region. Besides visiting North Borneo he spent several months in Java and Palawan, and made an expedition into the state of Malacca.
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Price HK$ 40,000