[China. Kircher] La Chine d'Athanase Kirchere

de la Compagnie de Jesus, illustrée de plusieurs monuments tant sacrés que profanes, et de quantité de recherchés de la nature & de l'art (...). Avec un dictionaire Chinois & François, lequel est tres-rare, & qui n'a pas encores paru au jour. Traduit par F.S. Dalquié. Amsterdam, Jean Jansson à Waesberge, & les heritiers d'Elizée Weyerstraet, 1670, (16),367,(12) p., with the following engravings: frontispiece, portrait, double-page map of China, large folding map of Southeast Asia, 14 plates (of which 2 folding), 1 large folding plate with numerous characters and 7 plates with facsimile text, 42 half-page illustrations and 18 smaller illustrations with symbols/ character, also a number of large woodcut characters in the text, contemporary gilt calf, folio.

Some occ. foxing/ tanning, marginal waterstaining at the end. Binding very expertly rebacked (using the old backstrip) and new corners of boards. First French edition. The first edition (in Latin, with the title China monumentis) appeared in 1667 and the first Dutch edition (Toonneel van China) in 1668, both editions with the same publishers as our French edition (and at J. van Meurs). Standard work, with interesting commentaries regarding religion, languages, topography, archaeology, natural history etc. The Dutch edition was dedicated to the heads of the Dutch East India Company, this French edition to the Marquis de Louvois et de Courtanau.