Keppel Expedition to Borneo, Thomas Knox Boy Travellers Japan China, Russian Empire, Travel History Rare Books, Bangkok Rare Books

Kaempfer, Engelbert. The History of Japan; Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam: 1690-92.
Published: Glasgow, James MacLehose & Sons. 1906
Binding: Gilt Decorated Red cloth
Price: Sold

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8vo., 3 Volumes, Printing limited to 1000 copies, although without a statement of limitation, original red cloth with gilt tooled "Kiku" or Chrysanthemum crest of the Japanese Royal Family on front covers and spines, rubbed and marked, Vol 1. with 5 small puncture marks to spine, Vol 2. water stain to corner of front cover, top edges gilt, others untrimmed, Vol 1. with front free endpaper stamp stating " set of 3 not to be sold separately, & Vol 3. front free endpaper with oval library stamp of "Library of Shuten Inouve" in English and Japanese, pp. lxxxix + 337, x + 397, ix + 386, profusely illustrated with full page plates, text illustrations folding plans and a large folding map, some occasional spotting but mostly to prelims, overall a good to very good copy with many pages un-opened.

Kaempfer (1651-1716) was a German physician and naturalist. Kaempfer traveled to Japan in 1690, engaged as a surgeon by the Dutch East India Company, which had the most regular (although still very limited) access to Japan among the European powers in the 17th century. He lived in Deshima (Nagasaki) for two years, on several occasions traveling to Edo (Tokyo). Kaempfer undertook a detailed study of Japanese history and life, with this account covering, in his title, "the ancient and present state and government of that empire; its temples palaces, castles, and other buildings; its metals, minerals, trees, plants, animals, birds, and fishes; the chronology and succession of the emperors; the original descent, religions, customs, and manufactures of the natives, and of their trade and commerce with Dutch and Chinese". A discussion is also included of the voyage to Japan made by the English in 1673 (they were denied access). Six appendices cover tea, Japanese paper, acupuncture, moxa, ambergris, and Japan’s policy of seclusion. Kaempfer traveled through South East Asia on his way to and from Japan, and his account also includes a description of Siam (Thailand) in the late 17th century.
Kaempfer’s History of Japan was written in German, but first published in English in 1727. His authoritative and detailed description of the country, largely closed to outsiders, was highly popular and reprinted in several languages. Given the paucity of information on Japan even over a 100 years later, Commodore Perry apparently took a copy on board when sailing to Japan in the mid-19th century to force the country open for American trade.

This text of this edition follows the original edition of 1727, with the exception of some corrections, both of spelling and punctuation, but with Kaempfer"s original spelling of Japanese place-names. Printing was limited to 1,000 copies, although without a statement of limitation.

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More rare books on Asia; Siam, Ava, Burma, Java, Angkor Wat etc.

Kelly, R. Talbot. Burma Painted and Described.
Published: London: Adam and Charles Black 1905
Edition: First Edition.
Binding: Elaborate Decorated Purple Cloth
Price: U.S.$705

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SOLD on 26th Jan 08

4to., First Edition, original purple cloth elaborately decorated in gilt, blue and red, similar spine, top edge gilt, pp. xv + 261, and folding colour map, plus 6 pages of publishers adverts, illustrated with 75 captioned tissue guarded full page colour plates by the author, a few spots to edges and endpapers, and light fading to purple cloth on spine, but the binding bright and clean and the best copy we have ever seen.

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Keneally, Thomas. Schindler's Ark.
London. Hodder & Stoughton. 1982. First Edition. original cloth, d/w with slight wear to head of spine otherwise a near fine copy.

U.S.$275

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Keppel, Captain The Hon. Henry. The Expedition to Borneo of H. M. S. Dido for the Suppression of Piracy: with extracts from the journal of James Brooke...
Published: London: Chapman and Hall 1846
Edition: Second Edition.
Binding: Original blind stamped blue cloth
Price: U.S.$1,350

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8vo., 2 volumes, Second Edition, original blind stamped blue cloth, rubbed, worn and faded, showing a few bubble marks to skin of cloth, spine gilt and darkened, pp. xiv + 338 + xxviii appendix, folding map, Vol. 2, pp. viii + 237 + cx appendix & folding map, illustrated with lithographed portrait frontispiece, tinted lithographed frontispiece and 9 plates, 6 folding engraved charts, folding table, half titles, browning to (mostly) margins of some plates, but contents crisp and clean, a good firm copy in original cloth binding.

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Pictures of volume 1

Pictures of volume 2

Kingsley, Charles. The Water Babies,
A Fairy Tale of a Land Baby. London. MacMillan & Co. 1912. 8vo., original pictorial gilt tooled green cloth, pictorial worn & torn d/w, top edge gilt, 16 color plates by Warwick Goble including tissue guarded frontispiece, pp. viii + 274 + pp. 6 of adverts, a few spots to ffep's & title otherwise a good copy. * Unusual in dust wrapper. U.S. $235

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Kipling, Rudyard. Puck of Pook's Hill.
Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company. 1906. 8vo., First American Edition, original green ribbed decorated cloth slightly rubbed at corners and edges, and a few small stains, gilt spine, top edge gilt, illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 4 full page color plates, small half inch tear to top edge of page 63, a light water stain mark to top and bottom edges up to page 60, contents clean, a good copy in a bright binding.U.S.$375

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Kipling, Rudyard. The Kipling Birthday Book.
Compiled by Joseph Finn. London. 1906, MacMillan and Co., Small 8vo., original decorated light blue cloth, spine slightly darkened, decorated endpapers, but front free endpaper missing, pp. 278 + pp. 5 of adverts, illustrated, a very good copy.

U.S. $135

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Klein, Augusta. Among The Gods.
Scenes of India: with Legends by the Way. Edinburgh, William Blackwood and Sons, 1895. 8vo., First Edition, original gilt tooled green cloth, rubbed at extremities & a few marks, black endpapers, pp. x + 355, 22 full page illustrations, contents clean, a good plus copy. U.S. $175

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Knight, E. F. Turkey
Published: J. B. Millet Company Boston and Tokyo 1910
Edition: First Edition.
Binding: Elaborate white paper backed brown boards
Price: U.S.$325

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Tall 8vo., First Edition, original white paper backed dark brown boards, spine elaborately decorated in colours, Turkish flag on upper cover, , top edge gilt, pp. x + 324, illustrated with decorated title page, tissue guarded colour frontispiece plate, & 5 other tissue guarded plates, a near fine copy.

Oriental Series Vol. XXI.

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Knox, Thomas. The Boy Travellers Russian Empire.
Published: New York. Harper & Brothers. 1887.
Edition: First Edition.
Binding: Hardback
Price: U.S.$550


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Adventures of two youths in a journey in European and Asiatic Russia, with accounts of a tour across Siberia, Voyages on The Amoor, Volga and other rivers, a visit to central Asia, travels among the Exiles, and a historical sketch of the Empire from its foundation the the present time.

Small 4to., First Edition, original blue cloth pictorially decorated in gilt, red & black, corners & edges rubbed, similar spine, endpapers decorated with a map of Russia, pp.505 + 4 pages of publishers adverts, profusely illustrated with a tissue guarded colour frontispiece, full page plates plus text drawings, ink stamp on front endpaper, a good firm copy.

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Knox, Thomas. The Boy Travellers Japan and China.
Published: NY. Harper & Brothers. 1879.
Edition: First Edition.
Binding: Pictorial Red Cloth
Price: U.S.$785

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8vo., First Edition, original pictorial red cloth decorated in yellow, silver, black and gilt, similar spine, binding worn at extremities & a few marks, small damp stain showing on lower fore-edge of 1st and last few pages and also lower corner of binding, pictorial endpapers, pp. 421 + 2pp. publishers adverts, profusely illustrated through-out, including tissue guarded colour frontispiece, full page plates, map and text illustrations, frontispiece and title joint split, repaired & holding, a good copy of an attractive book.

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Kunard, Professor R. The Book of Conjuring and Card Tricks for Drawing-Room and Stage Entertainments.
London. L. Upcott Gill. {1905}. 8vo., original pictorial blue/orange cloth rubbed & worn, pp.187 + 16pp. adverts, numerous text illustrations through-out, a few spots here and there and some light soiling, a fair copy. U.S.$175

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