Asher Rare Books

Japanese plants depicted for the first time in the West

KAEMPFER, Engelbert (Sir Joseph BANKS, ed.). Icones selectæ plantarum, quas in Japonia collegit et delineavit.
London, [Library of the British Museum], 1791. Folio (42 x 26.5 cm.). With 59 etched plates, (8 are double-page), by Daniel Mackenzie. Slightly later half calf, marbled sides, gold-tooled monogram AL on spine. [4], 3, [1 blank] pp. Full description

€ 38,000

Japan & Far East VOC

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

Eyewitness account of the Dutch massacre of thousands of Chinese in and around Batavia in October 1740

[PAMPHLET - BATAVIA]. Kort verhaal van doproer der Chineesen, op het eiland Java, dog voornamentlyk wegens de stad Batavia, voorgevallen in de maand October des jaers 1740.
[Amsterdam?, 1741]. 4to. 19th-century brown wrappers. 8 pp. Full description

€ 3,950

Broadsides & Pamphlets Indonesia / Dutch East Indies Law & Politics 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

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

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

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