Asher Rare Books

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

Poetic descriptions of Batavia, India, the Cape, Dutch country estates and notable persons

MARRE, Jan de. Batavia, begrepen in zes boeken.
Amsterdam, Adriaan Wor & heirs of G. onder de Linden, 1740.
With:
(2) MARRE, Jan de. Bespiegelingen over gods wysheid in't bestier der schepselen, en eerkroon voor de Caab de Goede Hoop.
Amsterdam, Adriaan Wor & heirs of G. onder de Linden, 1746.
(3) MARRE, Jan de. Hof- en mengeldichten.
Amsterdam, Adriaan Wor & heirs of G. onder de Linden, 1746.
3 works in 1 volume, the first in 6 parts. 4to. With an engraved frontispiece and an elaborate title-vignette (identical on all three title-pages. And ad. 1 with a folding engraved plate of Jakarta "as it was in 1731" by Jan van der Laan. Contemporary vellum, red spine label. [36], 320, [6]; [42], 178, [22], [20], 214, [4] pp. Full description

€ 1,500

Ceylon Dutch Literature Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Southeast Asia Southern Africa VOC

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

First Dutch editions of 8 accounts of the Middle & Far East, from Marco Polos voyages
to the capture of Formosa by the pirate Zheng Chenggong

POLO, Marco. Reisen, en beschryving der Oostersche lantschappen; ...
Including:
-HETOUM of Corycus. Historie der Oostersche lantschappen; ...
-[BRACCIOLINI, Poggio, and Girolamo di SANTO STEFANO]. Reysen naar Indien, en d'oostersche landen; gedaan by Nicolaus Venetus, en Jeronymus van St. Steven.
-[Anonymous VOC officer in Formosa]. Verhaal van de verövering van 't eylant Formosa door de Sinesen.
Amsterdam, Abraham Wolfgang, 1664. With 4 engraved plates.
With:
(2) BOURGES, Jacques de. Naaukeurig verhaal van de reis des Bisschops van Beryte uit Frankryk te lant en ter zee naar China.
Amsterdam, Abraham Wolfgang, 1669. With 8 half-page engraved illustrations in text.
(3) Verhaal van drie voorname reizen naar Oostindien, te weten van Johan Jacobsz Saar, Volkert Evertsz, en Albrecht Herport.
Comprising:
-SAAR, Johann Jacob. De reisbeschryving ... naar Oostindien, sedert ... 1644. tot ... 1659. ...
-OLEARIUS, Adam. De beschryving der reizen van Volkert Evertsz. [= Volquard Iversen] naar Oostindien. ... uitgevaren in ... 1655. en in ... 1668 ... gekeert.
-HERPORT, Albrecht. De beschryving der Oostindische reizen ... sedert ... 1659. tot ... 1668. ...
Amsterdam, Jan Rieuwertsz & Pieter Arentsz, 1671 (works 2 and 3 dated 1670 on their title-pages). With 8 engraved plates, the last 4 sometimes attributed to Romeyn de Hooghe or his school.
3 editions (the 1st containing 4 works and the 3rd containing 3 works) in 1 volume. 4to.Contemporary vellum. [12], 99, [8], [1 blank], 70, [2], 25, [1 blank], 12; [2], 126; [6], 198 pp. Full description

€ 28,000

Arabian Peninsula & Gulf States Central Asia Ceylon China Church History & Missions Formosa / Taiwan Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Iran / Persia Malta Mutiny, Piracy & Shipwrecks Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages East Asia Travel & Voyages Middle East Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia VOC West Asia

Rare German translation of Speelman's expedition against the Kingdom of Makassar

[SPEELMAN, Cornelis Janszoon]. Journal, oder kurtze Erzehlung des Anfangs, Fort- und Aussgangs des Krieges, welcher zwischen dem König und mehrerer Regierunge des Reichs Macassar und der Oost-Indischen Compagnie der Vereinigten Niederlanden in den Jahren 1666, 1668 und 1669 geführet worden.
Hamburg, Gottfried Schulken, 1670. 4to. Disbound, preserving the original endpapers. [18] ll. Full description

€ 3,250

Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Military History (17th Century) Netherlands Southeast Asia VOC

Important early voyages to the East Indies and the impetus for the discovery of Australia

SPILBERGEN, Joris van and Steven van der HAGEN. Historis journael van de voyages gedaen met 3 schepen uyt Zeelant naer d'Oost-Indien onder het beleyt van den Commandeur Joris van Spilbergen, sijn eerste reyse. Inden jare 1601, 1602, 1603, 1604, als meede beschryvinge vande tweede voyage ghedaen met 12 schepen na d'oost-Indien onder den Admirael Steven vander Hagen.
Amsterdam, Joost Hartgers, 1648. 4to. With a relatively large woodcut illustration of two ships on the title-page, a folding engraved plate showing six scenes of Spilbergen's journey and experiences in the East, a woodcut tail-piece, and 2 woodcut decorated initials. Set in textura types with incidental roman and italic. Modern brown calf. 96 pp. Full description

€ 6,500

Ceylon Economic History & Trade Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Southeast Asia Travel & Voyages Asia Travel & Voyages Australia Travel & Voyages Pacific Travel & Voyages Southeast Asia VOC

Colourful account of a shipwreck near Mauritius

STOKRAM, Andries. Korte beschryvinghe van de ongeluckige weer-om-reys van het schip Aernhem, nevens noch zes andere schepen, onder't gebiedt van den heer Arnout de Vlaming van Outshoorn, van Batavia na het vaderlandt afgevaren, op den 23. december 1661. van welcke gemelte schepen noch drie vermist worden.
Amsterdam, Jacob Venckel, 1663. Small 4to (19.5 x 16 cm). Modern marbled wrappers. 16 pp. Full description

€ 3,500

Dutch Literature Mutiny, Piracy & Shipwrecks VOC

First edition of Johan van Twist's description of India

TWIST, Johan van. Generale beschrijvinghe van Indien. Ende in 't besonder van 't Coninckrijck van Guseratten, staende onder de beheersinge van den groot machtighen coninck Chaiahan: anders genaemt den grooten Mogor. ...
Including:
- Corte beschrijvinghe van het coninckrijcke Cuncam, ofte Decam, staende onder de beheersinge, van den grootmachtigen Sultan, Mamedh, Idelxa, Coninck van Visiapour.
- Aenwijsinge van meest alle custen, drooghten ende reden, om door gansch Indien te seylen.
Batavia, Druckerye vande Gansen Pen, 1638 [= Amsterdam, J. Jansonius 1645]. 3 parts in 1 volume. Oblong 4to. Later half vellum. [12], 112 pp. Full description

€ 1,750

India & Sri Lanka VOC

Three "attestaties de vita" (life certificates) for a single employer who served the Dutch (1805),
French (1811) and British (1814) governments of the East Indies

VERMEULEN, Adriaan Theodoor. [Three original manuscript documents (Attestaties de Vita)]
Serambang & Soerabaya (Indonesia) , 1805, 1811 & 1814. Folio & 4to. Three manuscript certificates, written in ink on paper, folded. 1; 1; 1 pp. Full description

€ 2,250

Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Law & Politics Manuscripts & Documents VOC Wine / Viticulture

Manuscript inventory of a huge VOC tea shipment

[VOC - TEA]. Herman de HOOGH. Proef, taxatie en prys lyst der theën, dewelke verkogt en opgehouden zyn by d'Oostyndi Compagnie kamer Hoorn op den 12. Octo. 1790, aangebragt van China per 't schip Blitterswyk.
Amsterdam, 1790. Folio (37.5 x 24 cm). Manuscript in brown ink on paper. Single sheet. [2] pp. Full description