Many fine full-page woodcuts. 56; 51; 42 folding leaves. Three vols. Large 4to (337 x 260 mm.), orig. yellow wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers (labels a bit frayed), new stitching (a little loose). [China]: from title-page in trans.: “woodblocks owned by Yi xue xuan, 1801.”

An important and uncommon large-format edition of the “first of all Chinese encyclopaedias, containing so much botanical and zoological terminology.”–Needham, Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 6, Part 1: Botany, p. 191. This edition of the Er Ya contains the enlargements and commentary of Guo Pu (276-324), considered “the greatest commentator of the Erh Ya” (Needham, p. 188).

Guo, Chinese historian, poet, and writer, is best known as one of China’s foremost commentators of ancient texts and was a notable natural historian. Considered the most learned man of his age, he was also the first to define feng shui. Today, his edition of the Er Ya is considered to be authoritative and definitive, and without his glosses and commentaries, large portions of this text would be unintelligible. More

33; 29; 30; 31; 30; 28 folding leaves. Six vols. 8vo, orig. pale brown wrappers, orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers (in Manchu & Chinese), new stitching. Jingdu: Long fu si Ju zheng tang, 1890.

First edition of this Manchu–Chinese dictionary of terms and phrases, arranged by subject, starting with astronomy and continuing through geography, architecture, medicine, anatomy, rituals, religion, music and musical instruments, literature, education, bibliography, military words, livestock, veterinary medicine, agriculture, natural history, gastronomy, measurements, numbers, transportation, etc., etc. At this time, Manchu was the imperial language of the Qing dynasty.

Fine set. More