Forum Rare Books

The Dutch West India Company (WIC) in the Americas,
a contemporary description by one of the company's directors

LAET, Johannes de. Historie ofte iaerlijck verhael van de verrichtinghen der geoctroyeerde West-Indische Compagnie, zedert haer begin tot het eynde van 't jaer sesthien-hondert ses-en-dertich. Begrepen in dertien boecken, ende met verscheyden koperen platen verciert.
Including:
IDEM. Kort verhael uyt de voorgaende boecken ghetrocken vande diensten ende nuttigheden die desen staet heeft genooten by de West-Indische Compagnie; ende schaden die deselve den koningh van Spagnien heeft ghedaen sedert haer begin tot het eynde van den jaere 1636.
Leiden, Bonaventura and Abraham Elzevier, 1644. Folio. With the title printed in red and black, with the Elzevier woodcut device, and 13 double-page engraved maps and views. Contemporary sprinkled calf, gold-tooled spine with a black morocco title-label lettered in gold, red sprinkled edges, gold-tooled board edges. [32], 544, 31, [1 blank], [11], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 48,000

Brazil Caribbean Islands South America WIC

Journal of a 1674/75 overland voyage through India, Iran, Iraq and Syria to Amsterdam

LEEUWENSON, Joannes (Pieter Arend LEUPE, ed. & intro.). Eene overlandreis uit Indië naar Nederland, in 1674-1675.
[Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 1863]. 8vo. Offprint, retaining the original pagination and collation, of an article in Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, 6 (1863). 20th-century stiff paper wrappers, with a printed label on the front. pp. [89], 90-142. Full description

€ 1,250

Germany India & Sri Lanka Iran / Persia Italy Netherlands Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Europe Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia Turkey & Ottoman Empire VOC

Amsterdam as the commercial capital of the world, including the first edition of the "Traité des arbitrages"

LE MOINE DE L'ESPINE, Jacques. Le negoce d'Amsterdam, ou traité de sa banque, de ses changes, des Compagnies Orientales & Occidentales, des marchandises qu'on tire de cette ville, & qu'on y porte de toutes les parties de monde, des poids, des mesures, des aunages, & du tarif. ...
Including: MONDOTEGUY, Jacques. Traité des arbitrages qui se sont par change sur les principales villes de l'Europe, ou la ville d'Amsterdam à change ouvert.
Amsterdam, Pierre Brunel, 1710. 2 parts in 1 volume. 4to. 18th-century half vellum. [4], 388, [2] pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Amsterdam Economic History & Trade Netherlands VOC WIC

Manuscript letter by the director of the VOC fort at Jaffanapatnam (Ceylon, now Jaffna, Sri Lanka) to his uncle, a VOC and city official in Rotterdam, asking for support

[MANUSCRIPT LETTER - VOC - CEYLON]. [Mattheus SCHENKENBERG]. [Contemporary copy of a letter dated 3 January 1699 from Mattheus Schenkenberg to his uncle Harmen van Soelen].
[Jaffanapatnam, Ceylon, 3 January 1699]. Folio (33 x 21 cm). The Dutch letter is written in a neat late 17th-century cursive hand in brown ink. Folded and kept together by an orange, white and blue piece of string in the left margin (1.5 cm from the edge of the leaves, in the middle). [5], [3 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,950

Autographs & Letters Ceylon India & Sri Lanka VOC

Annotated copy of an essential work for the history of the Zeeland Chamber of the VOC

MATTHAEUS, Christiaan Sigismund. Kort gevat jaar-boek van de edele geoctroyeerde Oost-Indische Compagnie der Vereenigde Nederlanden, ter Kamer van Zeeland. Beginnende met de erectie derzelver Compagnie.
Middelburg, Jan Dane, 1759. 8vo. Contemporary half brown calf, sprinkled paper sides, red sprinkled edges. [7], [1 blank], [5], [1 blank], 151, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 6,500

Economic History & Trade Netherlands VOC

A conversation in an Amsterdam tavern about the Dutch West India Company in Brazil

[MELYN VAN DOORNINCK, Cornelis?]. Amsterdams tafel-praetje, van wat goets en wat quaets en wat noodighs.
Gouda, Jasper Cornelisz, 1649. Small 4to (20 x 14 cm). Modern half vellum. [31], [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 1,750

Brazil Economic History & Trade Latin America Law & Politics Mutiny, Piracy & Shipwrecks South America WIC

Conversation between five men concerning the WIC's conduct in Brazil

[MELYN VAN DOORNINCK, Cornelis?]. Amsterdams Dam-praetje, van wat outs en wat nieuws en wat vreemts.
Amsterdam, Jan van Soest, 1649. 4to. With woodcut illustration on title-page, repeated as tailpiece. Modern half sheepskin parchment. 20 ll. Full description

€ 1,750

Brazil Economic History & Trade Latin America Law & Politics South America WIC

Abbreviated rare edition of one of the most important pamphlets concerning the dispute
between the shareholders and the management of the Dutch VOC

[VOC - MIDDELGEEST, Simon van]. Den vervaerlijcken Oost-Indischen eclipsis vertoont aende Vereenichde Provincien door de participanten van d' Oost-Indische Compagnie. Met een oodtmoedich beklach aen de hoogh moghende heeren Staten: over de groote abuysen ende disordren deser Compagnie, mits de groote swaricheden die uyt dese te verwachten staen.
[1625]. Small 4to. With a small woodcut on the title-page. Modern half red faux snake-skin, new endpapers and paste-downs. 19, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Broadsides & Pamphlets Economic History & Trade VOC WIC

A history of the British, Dutch and Portuguese colonial activities in the East Indies

MÖKERN, Philipp van. Ostindien, seine Geschichte, Cultur und seine Bewohner. Resultate eigener Forschungen und Beobachtungen an Ort und Stelle. Deutsche Original-Ausgabe.
Leipzig, Hermann Costenoble, 1857. 2 parts in 1 volume. 8vo. Contemporary half sheepskin, gold-tooled spine. XII, 395; [6], 327 pp. Full description

€ 2,500

Economic History & Trade India & Sri Lanka Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Southeast Asia VOC

The VOC, fearing competition in Southeast Asia, protests against the building
of a large frigate - the St. Louis - in Amsterdam for a French trading company
(rare first and only known edition)

[VOC]. THOU, Jacques Auguste du. Continuatie van klaghte van den ambassadeur van Vranckryck, ende hoe het daer mede gelegen is, volgens de respectieve advijsen van de admiraliteyt, ende van de bewinthebbers van de Oost-Indische Compagnie.
[Copy imprint:] "Naer de Copye, 1660." [1660 or shortly after]. 4to. With Du Thous complaint/request in the original French, a Dutch reaction from the admiralty and the VOCs request to the States General to reject Du Thous request. Set in roman and textura types. Modern brown wrappers with a printed label on the front wrapper. [8] pp. Full description