First edition of a voyage to China and the Philippines, with 92 engraved illustrations and 6 engraved maps

Guignes, Chrétien-Louis-Joseph de. Voyages a Peking, Manille et l'Île de France, fait dans l'intervalle des années 1784 à 1801 [...].

€ 15,000.00

First edition of an esteemed and well-illustrated account of China and the Philippines by the French sinologist and lexicographer Chrétien-Louis-Joseph de Guignes. De Guignes lived in China for 17 years, partly as Resident of France in China and consul at Canton. He was attached as interpreter to the Dutch embassy to Beijing (1794-1795), led by Titsingh and Van Braam. His engaging travelogue recounts his experiences in China, with illustrations after sketches that he made on the spot. De Guignes's narrative provides an interesting and personal perspective on the embassy to Beijing.

De Guignes was the son of the distinguished sinologist Joseph de Guignes, and a correspondent for the Académie des Sciences and the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. He authored an important dictionary, the "Dictionnaire Chinois-Français et Latin" (1813). A German translation of the "Voyages" appeared in Leipzig in 1809-1810.

Slightly browned, plates in the atlas spotted and slightly dirty, the bindings slightly worn, otherwise in good condition.