KIRCHER (Athanasius). China monumentis qua sacris quà profan - Lot 105

KIRCHER (Athanasius). China monumentis qua sacris quà profanis nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis Amsterdami, apud Joannem Janssonium, 1667. In-folio, [7] f., 237-[11] pp. pl. in contemporary marbled brown calf, 6-rib spine, title page, gilt title, ornate caissons, wide lace framing the boards, fleur-de-lis at the corners, arms of the Society of Jesus in the center, scrolls on the edges, gilt edges (boards and headpieces rubbed, hinge slightly cracked, frontispiece reinforced towards the lower corner, tears to text on p. 193 and engraving on p. 194, light foxing, tears to map and folding plate). First edition of this work composed by Athanasius Kircher from reports given by Westerners, in particular Jesuit missionaries, in China, India and other parts of Asia. Focusing mainly on religious ceremonies and customs, it also provides valuable information on customs, flora and fauna, as well as languages in use. It is also the first work published in the West to include a Sanskrit alphabet and grammatical elements of the language. The illustration consists of 26 plates, including a frontispiece, a portrait of the author, 23 plates and 2 folding maps, and over 50 figures in the text, showing Chinese costumes, flora, fauna, views of the region and remarkable characters. (Cordier, Bibl. sinica, 26).