Reizen over Moskovie, door Persie en Indie: verrykt met driehondert konstplaten, vertoonende de beroemste lantschappen en steden, ook de byzondere dragten, beesten, gewassen en platen, die daer gevonden worden ...Amsterdam, Willem and David Goeree for the author, 1711. Folio (40x25.5 cm). With engraved frontispiece by Bernard Picart, engraved author's portrait, 2 folding engraved maps, 109 engraved plates (13 folding, 55 double-page, 41 full-page) and 36 engraved illustrations in text. Contemporary blind-tooled vellum.

[8], 472, [12] pp.First edition of one of the most richly illustrated accounts of a voyage to Russia, Persia and adjacent countries and territories by the Dutch artist and traveller Cornelis de Bruyn (1652-1726/27). De Bruyn sailed for Archangel in 1701, proceeding to Moscow, where he stayed for over a year. In 1703 he left Moscow, traveling by way of Asia Minor (Turkey) to Persia, where he remained until 1705. After nearly a year in Isfahan, he headed for Persepolis, the ancient Achaemenid palace complex, the ruins of which had his special interest. He spent three months there, carefully drawing the ruins of the palace, the remaining reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions. His drawings of these ruins are the first reliable pictures of this palace made accessible for Western scholars. Leaving Persia in 1705 he proceeded to India, Ceylon and the East Indies. He returned by much the same route, residing in Persia in 1706 and 1707, visiting, amongst other things, the ruins of Pasaragdes. The plates include large folding views of Moscow and Isfahan (194x40.5 cm!), portraits of Samoyeds, as well as many illustrations of local flora and fauna. Title-page with 1.5 cm trimmed off the lower margin and mounted on similar old paper, the lower corners of four preliminary leaves crudely reinforced, some plates with folds reinforced as well, and plate 127 with a part of the margin torn-off, just touching the image; otherwise a good copy with some occasional spots. Front hinge partly cracked, the binding slightly soiled and lacking the clasp, but still firm and good.l Howgego, to 1800, B177; Klaversma & Hannema 310; STCN (9 copies); Tiele, Bibl. 209.