Pierre Sonnerat | Voyage aux Indes Orientales et a la Chine, Paris, 1782, 2 volumes

Pierre Sonnerat

Voyage aux Indes Orientales et a la Chine. Paris: Chez l'auteur, 1782

2 volumes, 4to (289 x 220 mm.), 2 engraved folding maps (of which 1 hand-coloured in outline), 140 hand-coloured engraved folding plates (some folding), woodcut headpieces and printer's ornaments, contemporary red morocco gilt, spine with raised bands in six compartments, brown morocco labels to spine in second and third compartment, gilt edges, marbled endpapers, creasing and closed tears at folds of map of 'Theatre de la Guerre dans L'Inde sur la Coste de Coromandel', dampstain at margin of plate 78, a few small marginal tears, light scattered spotting

''...a celebrated classic of natural history exploration and discoveries in the far east. This lovely book contains 140 plates of native life and natural history engraved by Poisson from drawings by Sonnerat'' (Hill). The work describes the manners, religion, science and arts of the Indians, Chinese and Burmese (Pegouins), with observations on the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malacca, the Philippines and the Moluccas. The second volume contains much on the natural history of these countries.

LITERATURE:

Cordier, Sinica 2102; Hill, p. 578

PROVENANCE:

Bookplate of Viscount Harberton