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. ‘The publication of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles's The History of Java in 1817 marked a new sophistication in the recording of British experiences of the island. Providing a depth of analysis and breadth of subject matter, Raffles's publication was not the fairly simplistic diaristic account of adventure and opinion that had characterised many earlier British publications on Southeast Asia, but a highly detailed, minutely observed and handsomely illustrated study - Sarah Tiffin, Raffles and the Barometer of Civilisation.
Raffles was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Java in 1811 when the island and its dependancies were occupied by Lord Minto following the Annexation of the Netherlands by Napoleon. During the next five years he extended he area of European control and reorganised the Dutch colonial system in the island, as well as making an extensive study of the history, customs and languages of the region. From 1818 to 1824 he went on to serve as the British resident at Bencoolen in Sumatra.
Raffles is said to have taken seven months completing the History. He was knighted by the Prince regent on 29 May 1817, after the publication of the book.
Provenance: William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807, whose most significant achievement as PM was the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. These two bindings exhibit his gilt seal as Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a post he later held from 1810 until his death in 1834. Seal and coat of arms blocked in gilt to each cover (‘Sigill W. W. Baronis Grenville Cancellarii Academiie Oxoniensis’).
References: Abbey,Travel, 554. Bastin and Brommer, 81. Tooley, English Books with Coloured Plates, 1790 to 1860 (1954), 391. Hill, Pacific Voyages, 1413 (1844 edition). Prideaux, 252.
Two large quarto volumes (binding size 28.3x22.3cm), pp. xlviii 479 [1] [2]; viii 291 [1] cclx [2]. Large folding Map of Java to rear of volume I, and folding schematic of Large Temple opposite page 19 of volume II. Bound without half-titles or advertisements.
Collated - Vol I - 31 plates including ‘Aksára Jáwa’ and ‘Aksára Búd’da, or Ancient Alphabet’, two plates on one sheet (p.360), and ‘Javan Music’ two plates on one sheet (p.470); large folding map; 2 folding statistical tables (opp. p.106, 162). Vol II - 37 plates including one folding. In contemporary full tan calf, spines rebacked to style with gilt rule and brown morocco title labels lettered in gilt, boards with twin gilt filet borders enclosing gilt blocked coats fo arms and lettering, gilt rule to outer edges and foldovers, marbled endpapers, marbled edges. Condition: Near fine,occasional light spotting, small reinforcement to one fold of large map, in very good bindings, rebacked to style, wear and some scarring to boards. , near contemporary calf, arms in gilt to upper covers, joints beginning but holding firm, rubbed, bumping to corners and extremities Ref: 112197 Price: HK$ 85,000
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. ‘The publication of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles's The History of Java in 1817 marked a new sophistication in the recording of British experiences of the island. Providing a depth of analysis and breadth of subject matter, Raffles's publication was not the fairly simplistic diaristic account of adventure and opinion that had characterised many earlier British publications on Southeast Asia, but a highly detailed, minutely observed and handsomely illustrated study - Sarah Tiffin, Raffles and the Barometer of Civilisation.
Raffles was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Java in 1811 when the island and its dependancies were occupied by Lord Minto following the Annexation of the Netherlands by Napoleon. During the next five years he extended he area of European control and reorganised the Dutch colonial system in the island, as well as making an extensive study of the history, customs and languages of the region. From 1818 to 1824 he went on to serve as the British resident at Bencoolen in Sumatra.
Raffles is said to have taken seven months completing the History. He was knighted by the Prince regent on 29 May 1817, after the publication of the book.
Provenance: William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807, whose most significant achievement as PM was the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. These two bindings exhibit his gilt seal as Chancellor of the University of Oxford, a post he later held from 1810 until his death in 1834. Seal and coat of arms blocked in gilt to each cover (‘Sigill W. W. Baronis Grenville Cancellarii Academiie Oxoniensis’).
References: Abbey,Travel, 554. Bastin and Brommer, 81. Tooley, English Books with Coloured Plates, 1790 to 1860 (1954), 391. Hill, Pacific Voyages, 1413 (1844 edition). Prideaux, 252.
Two large quarto volumes (binding size 28.3x22.3cm), pp. xlviii 479 [1] [2]; viii 291 [1] cclx [2]. Large folding Map of Java to rear of volume I, and folding schematic of Large Temple opposite page 19 of volume II. Bound without half-titles or advertisements.
Collated - Vol I - 31 plates including ‘Aksára Jáwa’ and ‘Aksára Búd’da, or Ancient Alphabet’, two plates on one sheet (p.360), and ‘Javan Music’ two plates on one sheet (p.470); large folding map; 2 folding statistical tables (opp. p.106, 162). Vol II - 37 plates including one folding. In contemporary full tan calf, spines rebacked to style with gilt rule and brown morocco title labels lettered in gilt, boards with twin gilt filet borders enclosing gilt blocked coats fo arms and lettering, gilt rule to outer edges and foldovers, marbled endpapers, marbled edges. Condition: Near fine,occasional light spotting, small reinforcement to one fold of large map, in very good bindings, rebacked to style, wear and some scarring to boards. , near contemporary calf, arms in gilt to upper covers, joints beginning but holding firm, rubbed, bumping to corners and extremities Ref: 112197 Price: HK$ 85,000