Forum Rare Books

Radical critique of European overseas expansion in 10 volumes. Extremely rare second Dutch edition

RAYNAL, Guillaume Thomas François. Wysgeerige en staatkundige geschiedenis van de bezittingen en den koophandel der Europeaanen, in de beide Indiën.
Amsterdam, Matthijs Schalekamp, 1792-1803. 10 volumes bound as 9. 8vo. With 2 different engraved author's portraits, 8 engraved plates (5 as frontispieces), 12 engraved folding maps and 23 letterpress folding tables. Contemporary half calf, gold-tooled spine. VI, [4], 469, [19]; [8], 533, [1 blank], 11, [1 blank]; [8], 508, [11], [1 blank]; [8], 427, [9], [2 blank]; [8], 365, [9]; [8], 426, [10]; [10], 501, [7]; [8], 458, [11], [1 blank]; [8], 339, [10], [1 blank]; [4], 432, [13], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 7,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Brazil Charts & Maps Economic History & Trade India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Iran / Persia Latin America Law & Politics Middle America North America South America Southeast Asia USA - United States of America

One of the few known copies of one of the most remarkable ichthyological works ever, containing 100 extraordinary and brightly hand-coloured plates of tropical and fantastic fishes in the Indo-Pacific

RENARD, Louis. Poissons ecrevisses et crabes, de diverses couleurs et figures extraordinaires, que l'on trouve autour des Isles Moluques et sur les côtes des Terres Australes.
Amsterdam, Reinier & Josua Ottens, 1754. 2 volumes bound as 1. Folio. Title-page in red and black, a divisional-title for each volume and 100 engraved plates, vividly hand-coloured as published, showing 460 fishes and other marine animals. Contemporary calf, richly-gold tooled spine and bords, green morocco spine label with title in gold, decorated edges, marbled endpapers. Preserved in a professionally made black cloth box. [7] ll., 43 plates; [1] leaf, LVII plates, [4] ll. Full description

€ 125,000

Amphibians & Reptiles Fishes Pacific Islands Southeast Asia

Of the utmost importance for leprosy in the Dutch East Indies, by the first Deshima doctor
to describe the medicine and culture of Japan to the West

RHYNE, Willem ten. Verhandelinge van de Asiatise melaatsheid, na een naaukeuriger ondersoek ten dienste van het gemeen.
Amsterdam, Abraham van Someren, 1687. 2 works in 1 volume. 8vo. With an ornament on the title page.
With: (2) BEINTEMA VAN PEIMA, Joannes Ignatius Worp. Tabacologia, ofte korte verhandelenge over de tabak, desselvs deugd, gebruyk, ende kennisse: waar door aangeweesen wordt een wegh om lang, vroolijk, ende gesond te leeven.
The Hague, Levijn van Dijck, 1690. Contemporary vellum, sewn on 3 supports laced through the joints, the manuscript author on the spine. [18], 181, [1 blank]; [12 (of 16)], 175, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 7,500

Herbals & Medical Botany Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Japan & Far East Medicine & Pharmacy (17th Century) Southeast Asia Tobacco VOC

Reflections on seafaring by a Dutch minister on his way to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies

ROMAN, Johannes. Scheeps-bedenckingen, gevallen over verscheyde saken die den zee-varenden plachten te ontmoeten ...
Haarlem, Adriaen Roman, 1649. 4to. With a large woodcut printers device on the title page, a large woodcut portrait of Laurens Janszoon Coster (printer's device of A. Roman, dated 1630 in the block) on the final page, 3 decorated woodcut initials, and a woodcut tailpiece. Later black and orange painted paper wrappers showing a floral design. [1], [1 blank], [2], 23, [1] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Broadsides & Pamphlets Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Naval History VOC

A compendium for sailing the Indian Ocean, with three charts, second copy located

ROSSER, William Henry. Short notes on the winds, weather, & currents, together with general sailing directions and remarks on making passages; to accompany a chart of the Indian Ocean. With two[=three] illustrations.
London, James Imray and son, 1866. 8vo. With 3 folding lithographed charts (the first as frontispiece and the third possibly extra added). Modern brown cloth, spine with a long vertical leather title-label. [4], 64 pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Ceylon India & Sri Lanka Malaysia Navigation Southeast Asia

Sailing routes in the Indian Ocean and a general information about its weather, currents, etc. forecast,
with 2 maps showing the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

€ 1,800

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Australia India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Navigation Southeast Asia Southern Africa

Complete set of articles from the first ten years of the Royal Asiatic Society

[ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY]. Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
London, 1824-1834. 3 volumes in 8 parts. 4to. With 80 lithographed plates, including several folding plates and 2 chromolithographed plates, and some smaller illustrations in text. Contemporary blue and grey paper wrappers, kept in two modern half morocco boxes. Full description

€ 18,000

Archaeology China India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Southeast Asia UK - United Kingdom

60 splendid plates of East Indian shellfish, crustaceans and other marine specimens

RUMPHIUS, Georg Everhard. d'Amboinsche rariteitkamer, behelzende eene beschryvinge van aleerhande zoo weeke als harde schaalvisschen, te weete raare krabben, kreeften, en diergelyke zeedieren, als mede allerhande hoorntjes en schulpen, die men in d'Amboinsche zee vindt: daar benevens zommigen mineraalen, gesteenten, en soorten van aarde, die in d'Amboinsche, en zommige omleggende eilanden gevonden worden.
Amsterdam, Jan Roman de jonge, 1741. Royal folio (44 x 27.5 cm). With engraved title-page, engraved author's portrait, 60 engraved plates and 5 engraved vignettes. Contemporary red half roan (sheepskin). [24], 340, [43], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 8,500

Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Marine Biology & Oceanography Museums & Wunderkammer Shells & other Invertebrates Southeast Asia VOC

Adventurous travels in the Dutch East Indies, beautifully illustrated with 15 plates, including 3 on elephant hunting and 1 on crocodile hunting

SAAR, Johann Jacob. Ost-Indianische Funfzehen-Jährige Kriegs-Dienst und wahrhaftige Beschreibung ...
Nuremberg, printed by Wolfgang Eberhard Felssecker and sold by Johann Tauber, 1662. Oblong 8vo. With an engraved title page of a ship engaged in a sea battle, an engraved portrait of the author, and 15 engraved plates. Further with woodcut tailpieces, woodcut decorated initials, and headpieces built up from typographic ornaments. Set in fraktur type with incidental schwabacher, roman, and italic. Contemporary vellum. [12], 50, 170, "20" [= 18], [12] pp. Full description

€ 17,500

Ceylon India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Travel & Voyages Asia VOC

Enlarged Dutch edition of a description of Southeast Asia

SALMON, Thomas and Matthias van GOCH. Hedendaegsche historie, of tegenwoordige staet van alle volkeren; ... I. deel. Behelzende de tegenwoordige staet der keizerryken China en Japan, als mede van de Ladrones, Filippynsche en Molukkische eilanden, en van Makassar.
Amsterdam, Isaak Tirion, 1729. 6 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. With engraved frontispiece by Jan Caspar Philips, 3 engraved folding maps and 7 engraved plates (2 full-page and 5 folding, including 4 signed by Philips and dated 1728-1729). The maps show: (1) China, (2) Japan and (3) the Philippines, including the greater part of Indonesia. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum. [20], 88, [2], 91-200, [4], 203-318, [2], 319-442, [4], 443-554, [8], 555-645, [19], [2 blank] pp. Full description