Asia
We offer free shipping
STAUNTON, George.
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China … 1797
£18,500
First edition of the official account of the first official British Embassy to China, headed by George, Earl Macartney. Macartney was dispatched to Peking in 1792, travelling via...
3 volumes, 2 text volumes in quarto (322 × 245 mm) and large folio atlas (578 × 423 mm). Text volumes in contemporary streaked calf, black morocco lettering-... Read more
STAUNTON, George.
An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China … 1797
£18,500
First edition of the official account of the first official British Embassy to China, headed by George, Earl Macartney. Macartney was dispatched to Peking in 1792, travelling via...
3 volumes, 2 text volumes in quarto (305 × 233 mm) and large folio atlas (602 × 440 mm). Uncut in original marbled boards, rebacked and recornered in lightly... Read more
[HEDIN, Sven]
Southern Tibet: 1916-22
£18,000
First and only edition. "Hedin's travels [drew] him increasingly into what Lord Curzon regarded as the British sphere of interest, and a well-orchestrated effort was set in motion to...
9 text volumes in quarto, folio volume of panoramas, and 2 folio portfolios of maps, together with quarto prospectus, 13 volumes in all. Original printed card wraps,... Read more
KAEMPFER, Engelbert.
The History of Japan, 1727
£15,000
First edition. Born in Westphalia, Kaempfer graduated in 1676 with a doctorate in languages, history and medicine from Cracow, spending the following four years at Königsberg...
2 volumes, folio (340 × 217 mm). Contemporary sprinkled calf, double gilt fillet panels to the boards, Volume I rebacked with the original spine laid down, later... Read more
LE BRUYN, Cornelius.
Voyages de Corneille Le Brun Par La Moscovie, en Perse, et aux Indes Orientales. 1718
£10,000
First French edition of one of the principal accounts of Russia published during the eigteenteenth century, originally published in Dutch, Amsterdam 1711. Cornelis de Bruyn, the...
2 volumes folio (330 × 206 mm). Contemporary sprinkled calf, skilfully rebacked with the original spines laid down, new red and green labels, spines gilt in... Read more
TAVERNIER, Jean Baptiste.
Les Six Voyages de Jean Baptiste Tavernier … en Turque, en Perse, et aux Indes. Pendant l'espace de quarante ans … 1679
£10,000
The first small format edition, following the quarto firsts of Les Six Voyages (1676) and Recueil (1678). Beautifully presented set of this highly desirable edition of the voyages of...
3 volumes, duodecimo (153 × 92 mm). Late eighteenth-century crimson straight-grained morocco, title gilt direct to the spine, flat bands, triple fillet gilt... Read more
DANIELL, Thomas & William.
A Picturesque Voyage to India; by the way of China. 1810
£10,000
First edition. Originally issued in ten parts, "the aquatints of India by Thomas and William Daniell have been continuously popular ever since their publication between 1795 and 1810...
Folio (348 × 250 mm). Nineteenth-century half calf on marbled boards, flat spine elaborately gilt in compartments, marbled edges and endpapers, neatly rebacked... Read more
VERESHCHAGIN, Vasilii Vasilevich.
Turkestan', ztiudy s' natury. 1874
£9,500
First edition. Extremely uncommon pictorial record of the khanates of central Asia by the recognised master of the Russian Realist school, who recorded the people, the architecture,...
Folio (470 × 325 mm). Modern half calf on marbled boards to style, black morocco title label to spine. Plates mounted on guards. Title page in Russian, German... Read more
CONFUCIUS.
Confucius sinarum Philosophus, sive Scientia Sinensis latine exposita … 1687
£9,500
First European edition of Confucius: the first three parts being Latin translations of the Ta Hsüeh, the Chung Yung, and the Lun Yü or Analects; and the fourth, Philippe...
Folio (322 × 220 mm). Contemporary sprinkled calf, sides with gilt roll border, spine gilt in compartments, hand-lettered title label in third compartment,... Read more
MAGALHÃES,Gabriel de.
A New History of China, 1688
£9,500
First edition in English, first published in Paris in the same year, here translated by John Ogilby. An excellent association copy with the armourial bookplate of George, Lord...
Octavo (184 × 108 mm) Contemporary sprinkled calf, rebacked with the original spine laid down, tan morocco label, spine gilt in compartments, double-ruled panel... Read more
MEARES, John.
Voyages Made in the Years 1788 and 1789, from China to the North West Coast of America. 1790
£8,750
First edition, with the extra plate of the Philippines which Streeter notes as missing in most copies. John Meares (?1756–1809) "was sent out in 1786 from Calcutta, by a group...
Large quarto (287 × 230 mm). Contemporary tree calf, skilfully rebacked and relined, smooth spine gilt in compartments, red morocco label, edges sprinkled blue.... Read more
STRUYS, Jan Janzoon [with Olfert Dapper].
The Perillous and most Unhappy Voyages of John Struys, through Italy, Greece, Lifeland, Moscovia, Tartary, Media, Persia, East-India, Japan and other Places … 1683
£8,500
First English edition, having first been published in Amsterdam in 1676, before becoming a Europe-wide best-seller. Purporting to be an account of the travels of a Dutch sail-maker...
Quarto (222 ×168 mm) Contemporary sprinkled calf, double fillet panel in blind to the boards, and a similar foliate roll to the joints. Engraved pictorial... Read more
(MÜLLER, Gerhard Friedrich) JEFFREYS, Thomas.
Voyages from Asia to America, for Completing the Discoveries of the North West Coast of America. 1761
£8,000
First edition in English of Müller's Nachrichten von Seereisen und zur See gemachten Entdeckungen, published in vol. III, pt I, of Sammlung Russischer Geschichte, 1758, "the...
Quarto (272 × 203 mm). Modern dark blue half morocco by Weeks & Co., marbled boards, title gilt direct to the spine, raised bands, compartments with double-fillet... Read more
FRUNEAU, René.
Collection of six scarce works on navigation, hydrography, meteorology, and astronomy published at Nantes. 1829-33
£6,000
First editions of a group of rather eccentric theoretical papers on a range of matters maritime by an "ancien marin Nantaise", based in his experiences as a ship's captain in the...
Octavo (198 × 124 mm). Contemporary quarter calf, imitation tree calf boards, black morocco label, edges stained yellow. Folding lithographed map and 3 folding... Read more
BARROW, John.
A Voyage to Cochinchina, in the Years 1792 and 1793: 1806
£5,250
First edition of the "first illustrated English work on … Vietnam"(Hill). A description of the outward voyage of Lord Macartney's embassy to China. "The voyage visited Madeira,...
Quarto (263 × 209 mm) Contemporary blue straight-grained morocco on drab boards, title gilt direct to the spine, double-ruled compartments with attractive roundel... Read more
PENNANT, Thomas.
Outlines of the Globe. 1798-1800
£5,000
First editions. Pennant is best known for his tours through the British Isles and for his British and Arctic Zoologies, works which are "distinguished by his personal energy, a keen...
4 volumes, quarto (293 × 232 mm). Contemporary streaked calf, red and black labels, edges sprinkled blue. 21 engraved plates, 3 folding maps, and two vignettes,... Read more
TAVERNIER, John Baptiste.
A Collection of Several Relations & Treatises, Singular and Curious, of John Baptista Taverier, Baron of Aubonne. 1680
£4,500
First edition in English, following the French edition of 1679. Issued as a supplement to Tavernier's Six Voyages, this volume contains a lengthy description of Tonkin, the...
Folio (298 × 190 mm). Near contemporary blind-ruled calf, tan morocco label. Folding engraved map, and 7 folding engraved plates. Dry and a little rubbed,... Read more
RUSCHENBERGER, William Samual Waithman.
A Voyage round the World; including an Embassy to Muscat and Siam, in 1835, 1836, and 1837. 1838 & 1837
£4,500
First editions. Individually uncommon, perhaps Ruschenberger the more so, and together here offering a very full record of important early American trade negotiations in the Middle...
2 volumes octavo (220 × 134 mm; 215 × 138 mm). Uniformly bound in black half morocco on marbled boards, title gilt to spine, flat bands sparingly tooled,... Read more
BELL, John.
Travels From St. Petersburg in Russia to Diverse Parts of Asia. 1763
£3,750
First edition of the account of the author's "remarkable journey" from St. Petersburg through Siberia and into China on behalf of the Russian tsar. Bell's narrative includes detailed...
2 volumes, octavo (239 × 181 mm). ?publisher's calf-backed marbled boards, contrast labels, edges sprinkled red. Folding map frontispiece to volume I, shows the... Read more
PENNANT, Thomas.
Outlines of the Globe. 1798-1800
£3,750
First editions. Pennant is best known for his tours through the British Isles and for his British and Arctic Zoologies, works which are "distinguished by his personal energy, a keen...
4 volumes, quarto (293 × 229 mm). Contemporary lightly sprinkled calf, neatly rebacked, red morocco lettering piece and green morocco numbering piece, flat spine,... Read more
BYRON, Robert.
The Road to Oxiana. 1937
£3,750
First edition, first impression, in the first issue binding. "an enquiry into the origins of Islamic art presented in the form of one of the most entertaining travel books of modern...
Octavo. Original blue cloth, titles to spine gilt. With the dust jacket. Frontispiece and 15 other plates, 5 full-page maps. Cloth very bright and fresh. An excellent... Read more
SYMES, Michael.
An Account of an Embassy to the Kingdom of Ava, 1800
£3,500
First edition of "one of the first detailed accounts of the country written in English. In just over 500 pages, it addressed the history, geography, culture, and economics of Burma"...
Quarto (289 ×230 mm). Contemporary diced russia, title gilt to the spine, single fillet gilt panel to the boards framing a foliate roll in blind, single line... Read more
FORREST, [Thomas].
A Voyage to New Guinea, and the Moluccas, from Balambangan; 1779
£3,500
First edition. For some time before entering the service of the East India Company Forrest had served in the Royal Navy, seeing action in 1757 under George Pocock against the French...
Quarto, (300 × 233mm). Later half calf on marbled boards, red morocco label, spine gilt in compartments, slightly rubbed, upper joint repaired. With engraved... Read more
TURNER, Samuel.
An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama, in Tibet; 1800
£3,250
First edition of "the first eye-witness report on Tibet and Bhutan to be published in English," and which remained the only account of those countries available to English readers...
Quarto (290 × 232 mm) Contemporary diced Russia, title gilt to the spine, single fillet gilt panel to the boards framing a foliate roll in blind, single line... Read more
BADDELEY, John F.
The Rugged Flanks of Caucasus. 1940
£3,000
First edition. Baddeley's career began as a South American correspondent on the Observer, but around 1873 a meeting at a family dinner party with Count Shuvalov, the Russian...
2 volumes, quarto. Original dark sand, flecked buckram, titles gilt to spines, top edge trimmed others uncut. In the dust jackets. Photogravure portrait frontispiece... Read more
