Beschreibung
~Original polished tree calf boards, rebacked in near-matching polished calf. Gilt decor and red gilt label to spine. Gilt decor, worn, to board edges. Bottom board corners slightly pushed in and discreetly repaired. 4to (29.5 x 24.5cm). Small area of trimming to text block at base of spine, where a wedge of approx. 3x2x1.5cm has been removed at gutter, evidently to address water damage. In no case does this impact text or images. Small loss to original board near bottom spine, likely from same cause, restored in the rebacking. Hinges sound. Original endpapers restored at gutters. Crowned armorial bookplate to inside front board with the motto 'A ma puissance': arms of the Earls of Stamford and Warrington, likely George Harry Booth-Grey, 6th Earl of Stamford and 2nd Earl of Warrington (1765-1845). Initials in red above bookplate: 'J. G.' - another member of the Grey family? Owner's signature in ink to front free endpaper, with date 'June 1907 / Wallington'. With half title. 26 engraved plates by T. Medland, Vincent, and MacKenzie after Singey Bey and others, of which 4 folding and 3 botanical plates double-page. 2 engraved folding maps by J. Walker after Dalrymple and Thomas Wood. Second map, 'Draught of the River Irrawaddy', has mild tear at innermost fold, discreetly repaired with archive tape. Closed, repaired tear to p. 125 (c. 5 cm), slightly affecting text. Very mild water staining to bottom margin of plates, not affecting image except in 'The Birman Alphabet', which has also lost top title text through trimming. Some very mild browning and foxing to plates; offset browning to facing pp. Text block otherwise largely fresh and clear, with slight darkening at bottom gutter near trimmed section. First edition of this account by Michael Symes (1761-1809), army officer in the East India Company and diplomatist, of his diplomatic mission to Burma in 1795, 'one of the first detailed accounts of the country written in English'. 'In just over 500 pages, it addressed the history, geography, culture, and economics of Burma', painting 'a generally favourable impression of Burma, emphasizing its civility, culture, and stability, while also hinting at the Burmese court's suspicions of the British' (ONDB). With extremely striking illustrations, most by the Indian artist Singey Bey, working in the 'Company style' (Hindi 'kampani kalam') of Indian artists trained to work for the East India Company or other British patrons, which blends traditional elements inherited from Mughal and Rajput painting with a more Western treatment of volume and perspective. Symes makes specific mention of the interest shown by the Burmese king in Bey's illustrations: the king asked Bey to copy a Burmese painting of an elephant hunt (presumably plate facing p. 346) and to create a drawing of a celebrated image of the Buddha: 'his Majesty condescended to express his approbation of the performance' (p. 347). The illustrations include eight botanical plates of plants, selected by the President of the Royal Society 'as the most rare and curious among a copious and valuable collection made by Doctor Buchanan': i.e. the famed botanist Francis Buchanan-Hamilton (1762-1829), later known as Francis Hamilton, who accompanied Symes as a surgeon naturalist and 'put together a sizeable Burmese herbarium' (ODNB) which he presented to the Company and which did much to establish his reputation as a botanist. Also with a remarkable chart of the lower Irrawaddy (second folding map), produced by Bengal Engineer Thomas Wood, who here produced the first reliable Western survey of the river. Symes' writings 'display a genuine fascination with Burmese society' (ODNB), and together with Bey's illustrations and the contributions of experts such as Hamilton and Wood, provides a vivid record of pre-colonial Burma. Expertly restored, a very attractive binding. Cordier, Bibliotheca Indosinica, 445; Kaul, Early Writings, 2887; Howgego S200. ~Robust packaging. Overseas orders trackable on. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers QQ0083
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