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Carlson, Evans, American military observer in China (1896-1947). Archive of an American military observer in China.China and California, 1939-1940.

An archive of photographs and speeches from Evans Carlson, U.S. Marine and unlikely champion of China. Carlson spent nearly eight years in China as a military observer and marched an estimated 2,300 miles across the country with its armies in the Second Sino-Japanese War; in his papers he reflects on personal chats with Mao and Chiang Kai-shek, and describes his impressions, made on the front lines, of Zhu De, Sun Lianzhong, Li Zhongren, and Ma Zhanshan. He was present at the final days of the Battle of Tai'erzhuang, and toured with both the KMT and, extensively, with the 8th Route Army, with whom he spent the end of 1937 and most of 1938. The weight of this experience was lifelong and transformative.

This archive tracks the impact of Carlson's time in China, from his photographs with Chinese troops to one of his official reports, to his decision to resign his commission - having been in the U.S. military since age 16 - to write and speak about the plight of China full-time. In an unpublished draft, Carlson, who had found himself on speaking terms with both Mao and Chiang Kai-shek, relates:

"[I] went first to Yenan, headquarters of the leftist group. There I interviewed Mao Tse-tung, the brillian [sic] leader of that group. [...] I inquired what sort of plan his party had for the future - after the war. He replied that the Party hoped to continue the entente with the Kuomintang, looking to the establishment in China of a real domocracy [sic] with a two party government. That they believed that the government should own the railways, mines and banks; that they favored the development of cooperatives and the encouragement of private enterprize [sic]. […] Five months later I related these points to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, and asked him what his attitude towards them was. His reply was a succinct 'Ch'a pu to', meaning, about the same".

About the generals on the front lines Carlson says still more. He describes Zhu De, "a master of the guerrilla type of warfare", and how he accompanied Li Zhongren, "a strong nationalist, and one of China's topside military leaders", to witness Tai'erzhuang from the HQ of Sun Lianzhong: "A curious feature of this battle is that the defensive positions of the Chinese were along the Grand Canal [...] but the Chinese positions were on the side towards the enemy. When I mentioned this fact to General Sun he replied: Over three hundred years before Christ a famous Chinese general name [sic] Wu Tze remarked that troops always fought best when there was an obstacle behind them".

Altogether, a fascinating and colourful sketch of China in '37-'38, through the eyes of an American deeply sympathetic to the cause.

[Croatian prayer book against plague]. Piesni odgovorne s molitvam zarkovniem rasliekiem svezima kod [?] svetoga …Dubrovnik, 18th century?.

A scarce and likely unique Croatian manuscript of collected prayers against the plague. Croatian manuscripts of any kind are incredibly rare on the market, and only eleven individual manuscripts can be traced on the Schoenberg database.

The provenance of this prayer book certainly lies with the famous Mala Braca Franciscan monastery in the heart of Dubrovnik. The name Mala Braca ("Male Brachje") is mentioned explicitly in the scribal preamble and the colophon (which is written before the final set of prayers); the founder of the order, St Francis of Assisi, is invoked in the title and preamble. The obvious association with plague, and the slim and portable - perhaps personal - size of the prayer book perhaps hints to an intended purpose to ward off plague for an individual; it may even have been written for one of the later plague outbreaks in Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik, previously the Republic of Ragusa, has a long history with epidemic disease. As a major Mediterranean port during the medieval and Early Modern periods, Ragusa often experienced the first and most devastating waves of newly introduced epidemics arriving in seaports, from the Black Death to cholera. As a result, Dubrovnik has one of the oldest recorded histories of a formal quarantine, stretching back to the 14th century. Some of the city's Lazarettos - built to house new arrivals in the city for the 30 to 40 days - still stand as evidence of a long and difficult plague history. The saints called upon in the prayer book include St Francis, patron of the monastery, but also St Anthony of Padua, St Sebastian, "Tender of the Sick", Margaret of Cortona, and of course St Rochus, patron saint of plague victims.

[Sri Lanka - palm leaf book]. [Sinhalese palm-leaf manuscript].Sri Lanka, 19th century.

A large palm leaf manuscript penned in the Sri Lankan Sinhalese script. Despite the extra skill required to write on them, palm leaves are more durable than vellum or paper, especially in hot or humid environments; as such they are one of the most ancient writing surfaces in the world, with a manuscript tradition in Southeast Asia and India stretching back millennia. The texts of palm leaf manuscripts are first etched into dried and treated palm frond strips by a trained scribe armed with a small sharp stylus. The scribe then rubs ink into the etched lines of the letter-forms; this labour-intensive process can be seen in the pages of this manuscript.

In Sri Lanka, Sinhalese is both a spoken language of the Sinhalese people and a writing system in which one may also write in Sanskrit and Pali; indeed, Pali is a common language found in Sinhalese manuscripts. While palm leaf manuscripts are used for all sorts of works, from the Pali-Sinhalese medical treatise Yogaratnakara to the Ramayana, Sinhalese palm leaf manuscripts are particularly famous for their importance in preserving texts of Theravada Buddhism, including sutras and histories.

[Ramayana]. Ojha, Krittibas (transl.). The Balmiki-Ramayun, Translated into Bengalee by Kirti-Bas Pundit.Kolkata, 1857.

Exceedingly scarce edition of the first Bengali translation of the Ramayana, completed in the 15th century by Krittibas Ojha (1381-1461) and of utmost importance to the literary history of the Bengali language. Despite its fame and history, no institutions hold a copy issued prior to 1926, and only two editions (1926 and 1977) are held in institutions globally, with no copies listed in auction records.

First printed in 1810, the text is entirely in Bangla, save for a partly English title-page. It tells the story of the Ramayana in Krittibas's loose, creative, and distinctively Bengali translation. The Ramayana, originally written in Sanskrit, cannot have its importance overstated, but it in Bengal it was also a text only available to the extremely literate upper class, who could read Sanskrit. The mass popularity of Krittibas's Bengali Ramayana has long been noted: "The translation of the Ramayana by Krittivasa is by far the most popular book in Bengal [...] It is in fact the Bible of the people of the Gangetic Valley, and it is for the most part the peasants who read it" (Dinesh Chandra Sen, p. 170). In many ways it has come to represent an era, that of "the birth of the native Bengali culture and literature, liberated from the shackles of Sanskritic school so long in vogue, which in turn gave birth to a popular indigenous culture" (Sandipan Sen, p. 52). Indeed, it was so closely related to the concept of non-Sanskritic Bengali literature as a whole that it was banned by Raja Krishnachandra of Krishnanagar, a patron of Sanskritic scholars. Despite this pressure and other, later translations into Bengali, Krittibas's Ramayana remains considered, quite simply, the oldest and the best.

This copy is accompanied by 11 woodcut plates showing scenes from the story, including the deaths of Mahiravan and Kumbhakarna, Ravana's battle with Sri Ramachandra, and the coronations of both Lob Kush and Sri Ramachandra.

Sauvaget, Jean. Les Monuments historiques de Damas.Beirut, 1932.

First edition of this scholarly description of the architectural heritage of Damascus by the French oriental scholar Jean Sauvaget (1901-50). Discusses major landmarks of the Syrian capital including the Umayyad Mosque, the Citadel, and al-Adiliyah Madrasa. The plates include plans of the old town, al-Walid mosque, and the house of As'ad-Pacha el-'Azm.

Slight worming to the lower margin of the first third of the volume, otherwise very well preserved.

[Hydrographic Office]. [UK Admiralty Charts: The Arabian Gulf].London, 1967.

A fine set of nautical charts of the Arabian Gulf, including one Decca chart, covering the northern end of the Gulf, Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, and the Strait of Hormuz with the Gulf of Oman. Includes tidal information, compass roses, oil rigs, loading and pipeline terminals, soundings, seabed notations, currents, sandbanks, shoals, and inland elevations (including a "conspicuous tree" on the island of Shaikh Shu'aib). First issued between 1955 and 1962 respectively, the present charts are enhanced editions from 1976. The practice was to print an initial edition based on a major hydrographic survey, and then to overprint them with subsequent data as it became available.

The maps are as follows: Ras At Tannura to Ras Al Qaliya (no. 2882); Jazh. Shaikh Shu'aib & Qalat to Ras at Tannura (no. 2883); Kalat and Ra's Al Khafji to Abadan (no. 2884); Ras Jask to Jazirat Sirri (no. 2888).

A few deletions by hand. Some creases along edges; otherwise very well preserved.

[Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia)]. [Photograph album of the British South Africa Police].Zimbabwe, 1920s.

A souvenir from Southern Rhodesia: exceptional photo album from the interwar period compiled by Cyril N. V. Quinion (1901-77) of the British South Africa Police (BSAP). The rare images include views of BSAP camps at Gwanda, Belingwe, Salisbury and Filabusi, along with striking images of natives wearing feather crowns and bone necklaces, witch doctors, musicians, and members of the native police. Further notable themes include BSAP parades at the 1921 birthday celebrations for King George V in Salisbury, the local war memorial, and a dress ball aboard the Armadale Castle steamer in May 1924. Curiously, a group of four photographs shows views of Madeira, featuring Ocean Line steamers in the company of small fishing boats, the location of Madeira some 600 kilometres off the African coast suggesting that Quinion was an avid traveller. Depictions of locomotives, rivers, scenery and local fauna, as well as a view of Quinion's father's saddle and harness shop at Southall, Middlesex, photos of the Quinion family, and a set of stamps commemorating the British South Africa Company and the British Empire Exhibition of 1924, complete the album.

The British South Africa Police served as Rhodesia's regular police force from 1896. In 1980, BSAP was superseded by the Zimbabwe Republic Police soon after the country's reconstitution into Zimbabwe in April that year.

Binding somewhat rubbed. Some photographs a little faded; few loose. A rare survival.

[Egypt]. Ob'yedinennaya Arabskaya Respublika [United Arab Republic].Moscow, 1965.

Second edition of this rare Russian topographic map of Egypt, or the United Arab Republic, as it would continue to style itself until 1971. Compiled and designed by the Scientific Editorial Cartographic Department of the Chief Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography (GUGK) of the Soviet Union. The map indicates the demarcation line of the 1949 Armstice Agreements and notes that "the borders of the State of Israel are shown in accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly dated 29 November 1947". Aside from towns and settlements, roads, railroads, pipelines, and ports, it details coral reefs, lava fields, permanent and moving sands, pyramids, and ruins. With inset maps of the Nile delta (scale 1:1,000,000), an economic map (scale 1:6,000,000), and a chart of annual rainfall and temperatures in the area. The accompanying explanatory booklet comprises a discussion of the country, along with an index of place names found on the map.

Edges of the cover slightly worn. Map and index in excellent condition.

Pauthier, G[uillaume]. Le Livre de Marco Polo, citoyen de Venise, conseiller privé et commissaire …Paris, 1865.

An early French critical edition of the "Travels of Marco Polo", published from three manuscripts from the Bibliothèque Impériale de Paris, translated and annotated by Jean-Pierre Guillaume Pauthier. "The Travels of Marco Polo", also commonly known as "Book of the Marvels of the World", is Marco Polo's travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa in 1298. Polo's adventures in the unfamiliar lands of Asia were enthusiastically received in Europe, which made the book one of the most popular works of its time. Until 1530, the travelogue was translated into ten languages and 135 manuscripts were produced (Cruse, 171), a popularity that did not disappear after the invention of printing. The interest around the book also called for critical editions; and the first example was written by Giovanni Battista Ramusio and published in 1559.

Pauthier's critical edition is based on three manuscripts: BnF Français 5631 and BnF Français 2810, with variants of BnF Français 5649. BnF Français 5631 is a variant of the so-called corrected French version, written down by Thiébault de Cepoy as dictated by Marco Polo. Focusing on BnF 5631 along with two variants, this edition further provides historical and geographical context.

Jean-Pierre Guillaume Pauthier was a renowned French Orientalist mainly working on China. He published numerous studies on the history and civilization of China and famously translated Confucius.

Birgivi, Muhammed / Ali Sadri Konevi. Serh-i Vasiyyetname-i Birgivi.Ottoman Turkey, 1714 CE = 1126 H.

A charming Ottoman manual of catechisms and prayers popular in 18th century Turkey. The manuscript opens with the standard prayer read after completing the recitation of the Qur'an, followed by a popular catechism known as the "Serh-i Vasiyyetname-i Birgivi", and a shorter yet equally popular catechism, "Jawahir al-Islam". The last part includes copies of various prayers, poems, and short chapters from other catechisms. Each part is written by different hands. The colophon of "Serh-i Vasiyyetname-i Birgivi" is dated 1126 H (1714 CE).

The "Vasiyyetname" was a highly appreciated and widely read book, considered one of the works which for centuries shaped the principles of being a Muslim in Ottoman minds. Many manuscripts, including the present one, record the date of Birgivi's completion if his work as "approximately 970 [1562]". The book's great popularity in the 17th century resulted in the production of commentaries such as the present one. Written by Sheikh Ali Sadrî el-Konevî in 1114 (1702), this commentary proved no less popular than the original work.

The appendix to "Vasiyyetname" is "Jawahir al-Islam", a popular anonymous catechism composed of 34 simple questions and straightforward answers that mostly focus on religious duties. The questions are introduced by the phrase, "Eger sorsalar" ("If they ask you"), written in red ink.

This is followed by "54 Fardh", a short chapter that is found in various catechism books, reciting the fifty-four religious duties in a manner easy to memorize. After a single-page poem written in the style of "murabba" and a few pages of prayers which a person may recite in certain situations, such as to seek protection from evil eye, another popular catechism chapter was added to the manuscript. This short section, "Attributes of Allah", enumerates the adjectives and attributes describing Allah. The manuscript ends with a three-page "qasidah" written by "Muhammed bin Ali Efendi", as recorded in a brief colophon.

Overall, a beautiful example of manuscript tradition, witnessing a collective effort to create a well-rounded, easily accessible manual of prayers and religious rules.

[Ibn Sina (Avicenna)]. Welsch (Velschius), Georg Hieronymus. Exercitatio de vena Medinensi, ad mentem Ebnsinae, sive de dracunculis …Augsburg, 1674.

Only edition of this rare monograph, an "exhaustive survey of dracontiasis" (Garrison/M.). Infection with the tropical disease dracontiasis (or dracunculiasis) is caused by the larvae of the Medina or Guinea worm; a connection with contaminated drinking water was suspected even in antiquity and by medieval Arabic physicians.

The German physician and oriental linguist G. H. Welsch (1624-77) inserts the Arabic text from Ibn Sina's Qanun (book IV, fen III, paragraph II, chapters 21-22) and earlier Latin translations by Gerardus Cremonensis and Andrea Alpago before offering his own translation, with extensive commentaries. The text includes quotations from 28 languages (with a separate index), including Ethiopian (in Hebrew type), Brazilian, Mexican, Japanese, and Chinese (in Persian transliteration) etc. From page 395 onwards the work comprises Georg Cunelius's "De Dracunculis" (first published in Basel in 1589). The engravings show examples of worm balls in classical depictions (e.g., Medusa) and suggested remedies (drawing the worm from the vein). Also contains the usually lacking portrait of Empress Claudia Felicitas, wife of Leopold I.

[Biblia latina - NT - Ioannes]. The Gospel of John.Italy, ca. 1300.

The first fourteen verses of the Gospel of John, beginning with the famous phrase that has become one of the best-known sayings of Western culture: "Initium Sancti Evangelii secundum Ioannem. In principio erat verbum, et verbum erat apud deum" ("In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"), ending with "et verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis et vidimus gloriam eius gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre plenum gratiae et veritatis. Amen Amen Amen" ("And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth"). The "Word", a translation of the Greek "logos", is widely interpreted as referring to Jesus Christ.

At centre right of the leaf is a drawing, probably by the hand of the scribe, showing a late 13th century lady wearing a crespine or snood (hairnet), fillet (headband) and neckerchief, holding what appears to be a gift bouquet of flowers.

Artelt, Paul. Die Wasserkünste von Sans-souci. Eine geschichtliche Entwickelung von …Berlin, 1893.

Anniversary publication celebrating the fountain system of Sanssouci Park, which finally had become operational in 1842. While the complex system of pumping houses and reservoirs was conceived under Frederick II, hydraulics in the mid-18th century was still in its infancy, and only the invention of the steam engine solved the problem a century later.

Artelt served as Royal Prussian master of machinery. His commemorative work comprises a historical and a highly detailed technical part. A meticulous plan shows not only the more than 60 facilities built above ground, but also the pipeline system with its various diameters, faucets, boilers, etc. Several of the plates show splendid fountains in full operation that have since disappeared, been damaged or deactivated. The fountains of Sanssouci have been undergoing redevelopment for many years.

Cooper, Joseph. The Lost Continent; or, Slavery and the Slave-Trade in Africa.London, 1875.

First edition on this global investigation of the African slave trade, including a chapter dedicated to the challenges and successes of the Zanzibar treaties which had recently taken effect along the East African and Arabian Peninsula coastlines.

The volume opens with a large folding map of the African continent, its surrounding seas hand-painted in blue watercolour. Most of the continent itself is shaded in grey, and its caption reads, "The dark shade indicates those parts where Slavery and the Slave-trade more or less prevail. The uncoloured parts where freedom exists." One such place was the Sultanate of Zanzibar, whose experiments in suppressing the slave trade are discussed in Chapter IX.