Földvári Books

With the Scarce Large Map “Carte des Isles du Japon” (1679)

Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste

[Extracted from:] [Recüeil de plusieurs relations et traitez singuliers et curieux.] Relation du Japon, & de la cause de la persecution contre les chrestiens dans ses isles [avec la carte du païs]. [With map:] Carte des Isles du Japon.

[Paris]: [1679]. Extracted from the first edition. In later paper wrappers. With the large map of Japan, engraved by Jean-Louis Durant. 72 p. and a large engraved map of Japan, size: ca. 78 × 55 cm. Light water stains to the first and last leaves. A wormhole at the lower outer corner does not affect the text. Closed tear to the outer margin and trace of folding to upper corner of g1. Few brown stains. Otherwise in fine condition. Map: Water stain at the upper edge. Overtrimmed at the lower-left edge with some damage to the scale. Chipped at the edges. Several artfully closed tears and tiny holes by old paper bands on the verso. Overall in very good condition.

Tavernier’s Relation du Japon, with the scarce large map of Japan Carte des Isles du Japon (1679).

Relation du Japon is the first chapter of Tavernier’s five-part Recüeil de plusieurs relations (1679), issued as a companion work to the author’s Les Six Voyages. The present extract contains the scarce large map of Japan, which was issued originally for this chapter of the work.

Carte des Isles du Japon, engraved by Jean-Louis Duran is an uncommon map of Japan on a fairly large scale, in which Tavernier included the details of the yearly trip of the Dutch from Nagasaki to Edo to pay their respect to the Shogun, the silver mines of Jamaisoit, and some curious annotations such as about the beautiful girls of Ocasaqui (Okazaki) (“c’est ou sont les plus belles femmes du païs”). Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689) came from a noted family of booksellers and engravers, left Paris to become a merchant of precious stones, a diplomat, and a traveler in the near and far east. Although he only came as far as China on his travels, he included a description of Japan into his work. The book was an instant success and appeared in several editions in French, English, and German.

Price: €8,000.00