MALAY ARCHIPELAGO -- VALENTYN, Fr. Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën, vervattende Een Naaukeurige en Uitvoerige Verhandelinge van Nederlands Mogentheyd In die Gewesten, benevens Eene wydlustige Beschryvinge der Moluccos, Amboina, Banda, Timor, en Solor, Java, […]; als ook Een Keurlyke Verhandeling van 't wezenlykste, dat men behoort te weten van Choromandel, Pegu, Arracan, […], China, Japan, […] en van Mauritius. Dordr., (etc.), J. v. Braam/G. onder de Linden, 1724-26. 5 in 8 vols. W. engr. front., 5 identical ti.-vignettes, dedic. engr. (in the text), fold. engr. portr of the author, 265 views/plans/maps/portraits/fishes/shells, etc., 81 engr. in text and 8 supplementary folios (all called for by Landwehr). Fol. 19th c. hcf. w. red title shields (7 vols), mod. hcf. w. red letter shield. (Older bindings w. some wear, endpapers replaced, print p. 172 of vols. 5.2 loose, 2 prints of shells misbound but present, a few prints yellowed, all in all clean, sturdy, well-preserved).
This "work […] is even today of the greatest importance and […] of an encyclopedic nature." (Coolhaas, p. 26). François Valentyn (1666-1727) was a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church who lived for many years on Amboyna and Java. During this period he collected an enormous amount of information, especially in the fields of history and geography-ethnology, concerning all the parts where the VOC was active, especially the Indonesian Archipelago. He obtained these data from prominent officials of the Company and reproduced their reports and documents carefully in his work. Valentyn also payed attention to the flora and fauna of Amboyna: heavily leaning on a (lost) manuscript by Rumphius, this part of his descriptions are being accompanied by 78 plates depicting i.a. fishes and shells. Also containing important descriptions of i.a. Cape of Good Hope, China, Japan, Cambodia and Ceylon and 2 early voyages to Australia with interesting maps. The whole work consists of more than 4,800 pages in all! Set with all the plates and text as listed in the 'ordre voor den boekbinder' at the back of vol. 5 and Landwehr, VOC, 467. Maps in very good condition and without repairs. - Tiele, 1121; Alt-Japan-Kat., 1570; Cat. NHSM, 502.€ 12000
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