[Rarebooks] FS: Kaempfer. History of Japan 1st

[Clare Murphy]

KAEMPFER, ENGELBERT, 1651-1716.  HISTORY OF 
JAPAN, GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF THE ANCIENT AND 
PRESENT STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF THAT EMPIRE; OF 
ITS TEMPLES, PALACES, CASTLES AND OTHER 
BUILDINGS; OF ITS METALS, MINERALS, TREES, 
PLANTS, ANIMALS, BIRDS AND FISHES; OF THE 
CHRONOLOGY AND SUCCESSION OF THE EMPERORS, 
ECCLESIASTICAL AND SECULAR; OF THE ORIGINAL 
DESCENT, RELIGIONS, CUSTOMS, AND MANUFACTURES OF 
THE NATIVES, AND OF THEIR TRADE AND COMMERCE WITH 
THE DUTCH AND CHINESE. TOGETHER WITH A 
DESCRIPTION OF THE KINGDOM OF SIAM. WRITTEN IN 
HIGH-DUTCH BY ENGELBERTUS KÃEMPFER ... AND 
TRANSLATED FROM HIS ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT, NEVER 
BEFORE PRINTED, BY J. G. SCHEUCHZER ... WITH THE 
LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, AND AN INTRODUCTION, THE. 
London: For the translator, 1727. Translated by 
J. G. Scheuchzer into English. Illustrated by 
engraved title and 45 plates (part fold.; incl. 
folding maps, plans). Complete, all plates called 
for are present. First edition. 2 volumes. Late 
eighteenth century binding of half calf with 
marbled boards. Fine uncut rag paper. Inscribed 
by former owner, George Pearson , 1797 and T. 
Romeyn Beck, 1815. Pearson was a physician 
pioneer in the development of the smallpox 
vaccine. Dr. T. Romeyn Beck was appointed 
lecturer on medical jurisprudence at Western 
Medical College in New York state. In 1823, Beck 
published the Elements of Medical-Jurisprudence.

Folio (38 cm). Large paper edition. Vol. 1 has 
added title page in Latin: Historia imperii 
Japonici ... Londini, 1727. On the reverse of the 
English title page in both volumes, is printed: 
April 27, 1727. Imprimatur, Hans Sloane. Has list 
of subscribers, appendix and index. Continuous 
pagination of 612 pages plus appendix, index, 
contents, list of plates etc. Dedication pages 
"To the King" etc. Handwritten comments, in the 
original owner's hand on the verso of dedication, 
comparing this English edition to the the 
original manuscript in German by Kaempfer.

Kaempfer was a German physician and diplomat. He 
visited Japan in 1690-92 as part of the Dutch 
East India Company and was twice allowed to visit 
Edo. Kaempfer wrote this work in High Dutch, but 
a published German-language edition did not 
appear until 1777.

First signature (4 blank pages) loose and final 
end paper missing in volume I. All free end 
papers missing in Volume II. Two holes in title 
page on printed title page of vol. I, where 
someone cut out a name. Some minor closed tears 
to a few plates and pages but one plate has a 
corner missing and the same plate has a long 
jagged closed tear with no loss. The binding is 
all there but the boards are held on by the cords 
and the marbled paper covering the boards is 
seriously scraped. Contents generally very good. 
A wonderful unsophisticated copy of a very scarce 
book.  $10,000.00


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Clare Murphy
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