Rare books from Asia Bookroom

Tokyo: Imperial Government Railways.. (circa1910).. 50 delicate hand coloured collotype plates on high quality stiff card each captioned in English, presented in Japanese embroidered silk covered boards with tassle ties, All edges gilt., patterned gilt endpapers.The hinges of each image have been professionally repaired with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste. Neat pencilled annotations lower corners, leaves clean and bright. 26 x 38cm. This beautiful album proved very popular and was reprinted a number of times, in some editions all of the plates are in colour, as is the case with this copy, and at other times the edition only shows some plates in colour and while the others are in black and white. The work also appears in editions both with and without 2 maps, later editions in Western bindings. Although his name does not appear in this album it seems highly likely that this album was published by Ogawa Kazumasa (1860-1929). Described by Terry Bennett in his excellent work Japanese Photography… Read More

Shūseidō 衆星堂. [Reprint].. Tenpō 14 (1843).. Large folding handcoloured map of the thirteen provinces from which Mt. Fuji can be viewed. 159 x 178cm. Folds into paper covered card covers measuring 40 x 24cm. Title label upper cover. A little browning along folds, occasional spotting and soiling. A little worming causing approximately 1cm of loss in places. Two chops in lower section. A very striking and attractive map. This very large handsome map is a detailed map of the thirteen provinces from which one can see Mt. Fuji. Provinces shown are the eight provinces of the Kantō region, Sagami 相模, Musashi 武蔵, Kazusa 上総, Shimofusa 下総, Awa 安房, Kōzuke 上野, Shimotsuke 下野, and Hitachi, 常陸, and five other provinces, Izu 伊豆, Suruga 駿河, Tōtōmi 遠江, Kai 甲斐, and Shinano 信濃. The map… Read More

London.: Church of England Zenana Missionary Society.. No date. (circa1900).. Nine printed sheets each printed with people or items and showing the cut lines. Original chromolithograph card box repaired with acid free archival tape along folds. Some occasional light foxing on sheets, card covers browned and worn in places, a few other minor signs of wear but generally very good. 43 x 24cm. The first two sheets show Chinese people in clothes appropriate to their age, occupation etc. Those illustrated include The Opium Smoker, School-master, The General Shopkeeper, Native Biblewoman etc. Other sheets show furniture and fittings, a coloured illustration of the street, a black and white image of the city gate and a much larger sheet (50 x 87.5cm) which is an illustration of the street and onto which the other cut-outs when coloured and cut out are placed. .

[London].: George Philip & Son.. No date. (circa1937).. Very large, handsome coloured linen backed map 167.5 x 114.5cm, folds into cloth boards 29.5 x 24.5cm. Scale 1:3,000,000 or 48 miles to an inch. Marbled front free endpaper creased and torn with some loss. Ribbon ties detached, cloth soiled, corners of corners worn and bumped, cloth along case joints torn in places. Although the case shows wear this striking map is in excellent condition. The map features three inset maps: Shanghai/Nanking District; Peking Tsinan District and Sinkiang. A key gives reference to the symbols of communities used which include animal and vegetable products, mineral products and manufactured products. A scarce map packed with fascinating detail of China at a crucial time in the country's history. .

No publication details.. (circa1920?).. Album of twelve full page hand coloured illustrations on silk laid down on card leaves. Images measure 25.4 x 19.4cm. Silk along upper border of two images a trifle frayed, occasional light marks, some light browning card leaves, minor insect damage silk border of one leaf not affecting image. Bound in between wooden boards, title label blank. Chinese ownership marks endpaper. Modern professional Japanese paper repairs to spine. Very attractive album. A charming collection of Chinese pictures showing a variety of domestic, court and mythological scenes. This album contains no clues as to the purpose of these delightful images. There is no title or accompanying text and they are as is typical of these types of illustrations unsigned. They may have been produced for the tourist trade or maybe as a gift book? .

London.: Butterworth.. Number 77 of a limited edition of 750 copies.. 1924.. Maps including colour folding plan of City of Victoria, 18 colour plates, many in black and white, 528pp, bibliography, index, bright top edge gilt. Fore edge lightly browned, front endpapers browned, cloth very clean and bright, lettered in bright gilt, an exceptional copy in original slightly chipped dustjacket. 30.7 x 25.5cm. This remarkable book records the extraordinary collection that Hong Kong businessman Sir Paul Chater built. This volume includes descriptions and representations of the prints and maps within his collection. Paul Chater was an energetic and innovative man who though coming from disadvantage built an enviable business empire as well as involving himself with the government of Hong Kong. He served as Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council for 30 years ending only with his death. When Sir Paul Chater died in 1926 his collection of porcelain, prints and paintings together with Marble Hall,… Read More

武昌.[Wuchang].: 亞新地學社.[Ya xin di xue she].. 1st Edition.. August1951.. Large detailed colour Chinese map of Korean War, folded, scale 1:15,000,000, three inset maps on corners, illustrated legend showing agricultural and mining resources lower margin, in original envelope. Some light wear along edges, small holes and wear at folds mended with archival tape, envelope torn with loss mended with archival tape. Inset map 兩個陣營力量對比 "Strength Comparison Between The Two Camps" upper left corner, scale 1: 170,000,000. The Peaceful Camp in red covering the majority of Asia and Europe, a list of 6 countries (Germany, Czech, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania) are numbered and are also part of the Peaceful Camp. The Invader Camp in grey covering North America and small parts of Europe, a list of 3 nations (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg) are numbered and are also part of the Invader Camp. Block of text in… Read More

(Circa1900).. Large illustrated map of Beijing showing the city in the period following the invasion of the military forces of the Eight National Alliance, old folds, scale not given. Some scattered light foxing particularly at edges, short closed tear at fold lower edge, neat non acidic tape repair short section upper edge wear along folds, and a couple of small, unobtrusive holes with minor image loss. Blocks of text in traditional Chinese right and left upper sections stating each nation's occupied zone, Japanese text title accompanies the English title along the upper section of the map. 63.7 x 56.9cm. Very good overall. A rare and significant large Japanese woodblock map of Peking (Beijing), issued just after the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion. Centred on the Forbidden City, the map depicts Peking following the multinational suppression of the Boxer Rebellion or Yihetuan Movement of 1900. The map was issued to illustrate the areas of occupation associated with each of the powers in the Eight… Read More

[China].: 軍事委員會政治訓練部. [Jun shi wei yuan hui zheng zhi xun lian bu].. [1926].. Chinese Kuomintang propaganda poster printed in red, issued by the Political Training Department of the Military Affairs Commission. Text in traditional Chinese. Chinese character for "one" at lower left apparently indicates more posters in this series. Small mark right edge, some light creases, very good. Sheet measures 78.6 x 26.8cm. The Double Tenth Day celebrates the Wuchang Uprising on October 10th 1911. The uprising took place in what is today the Wuchang district within Wuhan and brought about the end of the Qing Dynasty. This uprising was the first of a series of uprisings across China and by the end of 1911 there was really no doubt that the Qing Dynasty would fall. On February 12th, 1912 Empress Dowager Longyu formally abdicated the throne on behalf of Puyi. The publisher of this poster,… Read More

[China].: 國民政府軍事委員會政治訓練部. [Guo min zheng fu jun shi wei yuan hui zheng zhi xun lian bu].. [1926].. Chinese Kuomintang propaganda poster printed in blue on white paper, folded. Issued by the Political Training Department of the Military Affairs Commission, a head portrait of Chiang Kai-shek in military uniform is featured at the top of the poster. A large blank section in main body of the poster has been left for the addition of text or images. Traditional Chinese lower section. Some light creasing mainly upper section, light wear edges, some staining upper and lower sections of sheet but overall very good. Text in traditional Chinese. Sheet measures 77.1 x 27.3cm. 軍事委員會政治訓練部 "The Political Training Department of the Military Affairs Commission", a very short-lived yet powerful department, was established in March 1926 by 2nd Central… Read More

[南京].[Nanking].: 南京特別市農民協會.. [1928].. Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) propaganda poster stencilled in blue and red, appears to have been issued folded with 4 neat horizontal folds visible, some other minor creasing, small closed tear from margin, archival repair to lower left corner, small stain lower corner. Issued by the Peasants' Association of Nanking Special Municipality, the party emblem of KMT is centrally placed at the top of the poster with skulls and crossbones just below, calligraphic text takes up the majority of the poster with the characters for "five" and "three" highlighted, lower edge dripping blood, overall very good. Text in traditional Chinese. Sheet measures 78 x 26cm. In the final stage of the Northern Expedition, Chang Kai-shek's National Revolutionary Army (NRA) entered Jinan, the capital city of Shandong Province in April 1928. The two characters "five" and "three" so graphically depicted on this poster… Read More

San Francisco.: Nippon Yusen Kaisha. 1st Edition.. 1927.. Filled with countless black & white photographic images and striking cover art as well as numerous advertisements for hotels and passenger ships together with fashions of the era. In depth articles and commentary, and a focus on trans-pacific personalites. Each issue has 56pp. 31 x 23cm, original pictorial wrappers some with a mild vertical crease. Near fine copies. A loosely inserted card from New York's Japan Society states that this periodical, published in San Francisco in English was "published with the purpose of making Asian countries, particularly Japan, better known in the United States, and thus promoting better international relations, the magazine is sent to you as an activity of the Townsend Harris Committee. The attractive covers and format are reminiscent of the better known Asia Magazine. Articles include: 60 Years of Steam-Shipping. An History of Trans-Pacific Service - W.C. Bunner; Trans-Pacific Personalities; Hails and… Read More

London.: Oriental Translation Fund.. 1st thus.. 1829.. 2 volumes. Volume I: black & white frontispiece "Fac-simile of the Title-Page to Haoukewchuen, or the Fortunate Union". A further page with borders decorated and printed in blue announce: Oriental Translation Fund Instituted 1828 under the patronage of His Most Gracious Majesty George the Fourth and states that 'This copy was printed for the Most Noble the Marquess of Anglesey, A subscriber to the Oriental Translation Fund.' Some foxing preliminary leaves, one gathering loosening. xxiv + 258pp and errata. Volume II: Frontispiece map showing "the Route of the Embassy in 1816 from Peking to Tengchang Foo along the Grand Canal", vi + 262pp, appendix and bound together with 31pp 'Report of the Proceedings of the Second General Meeting of the Subscribers to the Oriental Translation Fund with the Prospectus, A list of the Oriental Translation Committee, a Report of the Committee and Regulations and a List of Works in the Press. Generally very clean… Read More

Shanghai.: Presbyterian Mission Press.. 2nd Edition, Corrected.. 1868.. [4] + 225pp, appendices and addenda; tables within the text. 21.8 x 14.3cm. Some light browning and offsetting to the text block throughout. Original half calf and marbled boards, edges and corners rubbed and 3cm loss to head of spine, upper joint split but holding firm. A much better copy than it sounds, a tight and firm binding of a scarce edition. "The little work now in the hands of the reader, is an attempt to elucidate colloquial Chinese, by taking a limited field of enquiry, that of the dialect of a single district. By this means it has been hoped, something might be done to help the causes of Chinese philology, by collecting facts, which writers having a wider scope, have overlooked. There are aids for the study of the southern dialects of China, but no one has yet written on the speech of the rich and populous province of Kiáng-nán. On Missionary and Commercial grounds, it is time that some attempt should be… Read More

London.: Richard Bentley.. 1861.. First edition, hand-coloured lithographed frontispiece and black and white text illustrations, [i]-xxxii + 350pp with a final advertisment leaf of Bentley's Standard Novels, 19.4 x 13cm, original blind-stamped blue cloth boards, gilt-lettered spine (dulled) and gilt vignette of a ship with pennants a flutter to the top board, slight spotting mainly limited to the endpapers and age toning to the edges of the text, old varnish to the boards (obscuring gilt lettering to spine and dulling the gilt to the ship vignette) corners tender, but a good clean example of a title scarce on the market. Written in the year Japan opened its doors to foreign trade (but published three years later), by the first British Consul to Nagasaki, Christopher Pemberton Hodgson (he also served as French Consul). As well as giving a key survey of a landmark period (including the structure of society, religion and Japanese attitudes to the West), Hodgson importantly includes a catalogue of… Read More