Reprint of the first edition of a work on archeology in China, published in the years 1922-1933, written by the German orientalist and archaeologist Albert von Le Coq (1860-1930). From 1902 to 1914, Le Coq led three of the four German expeditions to the Turfan (or Turpan) area, in Xingjian, China. "The principal spoils of these expeditions were literary. Vast numbers of Chinese manuscripts were obtained from every center, both secular and religious. ... Besides securing manuscripts, these expeditions examined caves decorated with stucco figures and with frescoes..." (Couling). The text gives a brief history of the expeditions, the different sites they excavated, including grottoes and temples, which are also shown on some of the smaller illustrations, followed by descriptions of the objects shown on the plates. "The civilization thus revealed is a mixture of Persian, Indian, Chinese, Hellenic etc." (Couling).
All volumes in very good condition. Cf. Couling, pp. 32, 578.