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several old books are lined up in a row on a white surfacea book open to a page with a picture of a bird on itan open book with a drawing of a woman sitting on top of a tablean old book with a picture of a man and a woman sitting on a benchan old book with a drawing of a boat on itan open book with a drawing of a boat on the wateran old book with a drawing of a man holding a bow and arrowan open book with a drawing of a man sitting on a boatan open book with a drawing of a horse drawn carriagean open book with a drawing of a man on a polean open book with a drawing of a man with a hat on itan old map of the world on a piece of paperan old map of new zealand and the surrounding islands
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208 - China – Asia MACARTNEY (George), Lord A Journey into the Int…
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Estimate €400 - €600
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Description
China – Asia MACARTNEY (George), Lord A Journey into the Interior of China and Tartary, undertaken in the years 1792, 1793 and 1794 by Lord Macartney. Translated from the English, with notes, by J. Castéra. Paris, Buisson, Year XII (1804). 5 in-8 volumes (text) and an in-4 atlas illustrated with 41 plates (including 4 fold-out maps). Slight angular discolouration at the top of 3 volumes. ½ contemporary fawn sheepskin, smooth decorated spines, red title labels, scuffing, rubbing and minor knocks from handling (text) – ½ brown sheepskin, smooth spine, title label, gilt lines, rubbing (atlas). The voyage was published based on the papers of Lord Macartney and his secretary, Sir George Staunton. Macartney was sent to China on the orders of King George III with the aim of establishing trade relations, meeting the Chinese elite and reporting back on all possible observations. He set sail aboard a fleet of three ships, the Lion, the Indostan and the Chacal, and travelled through much of China, calling at Tianjin and Beijing. This undertaking was a complete failure due to cultural differences. Indeed, diplomatic relations could not be conducted on an equal footing from the Chinese perspective, as ambassadors were required to prostrate themselves before the emperor and pledge allegiance to him, which Macartney refused to do, as he could not accept any subordination of the King of England to the Emperor of China. The Chinese’ categorical rejection of trade relations marked the beginning of what would become the Opium Wars and the fall of the Chinese Empire. The book remains, however, one of the finest accounts of the regions traversed by Macartney, offering insights into science, natural history and the aristocracy, and will be of great use to those interested in Macartney’s work.
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Auction time 07/03/2026 at 10:00 AM
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