Bowring, John

FIRST EDITION, 2 volumes, 8vo (216 x 130mm.), half-titles, folding map, 16 engraved or chromolithographic plates (one folding), 2 folding facsimile letters, contemporary red half calf over marbled boards, without advertisements, scattered staining and spotting, extremities lightly rubbed, spines darkened

H.A. Cockerell, ownership inscription in each volume

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Bowring's: "most successful book, The Kingdom and People of Siam (2 vols., 1857), was republished by Oxford University Press in 1969. The volumes of verse translations were also important, for, though not all they pretended to be, they introduced otherwise virtually unknown literatures to the English-speaking world. Bowring's services in diplomacy were valued because of his aptitude for languages, his ability to handle figures, and a ‘facility for obtaining access to persons of all stations’" (ODNB).