Asia

Hooded Racket-Tailed Magpie (Crypsirhina Cucullata) From Burma – John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860′s

Original hand-coloured lithograph produced on limestone from John Gould’s most impressive series “Birds of Asia” completed and published in London in the1860’s.

A striking bird found the in the lower jungles of Northern Burma. Threatened by clearing but currently still strong in numbers. Also known as the Hooded Crypsirhina and Hooded Treepie

First formally described by Thomas Jerden a British ornithologist in 1862. You can see form John Gould’s narrative that he was working from sketches provided by Jerden and unlikely to have an example of the bird.

The birds appear to be figured in natural size being roughly 30 cm long and two thirds of that being the remarkable tail… the accompanying narrative describes their colouring is some detail. The execution of the lithograph is excellent, it is very clean and the colouring still very bright and full and enhanced by the use of gum arabic which creates a sense of richness and depth

We all know about John Gould but maybe not so much about Jensen.

Thomas Caverhill Jenson (1811-1872) was a Scottish born surgeon in the East India Company and then the Military and spent most of his working life in India. He was a keen naturalist in a number of fields. Early on he sent birds back to Sir William Jardine in Scotland to be classified. They arrived moth eaten so from then on Jerden decided to complete that work himself. He became the leading authority in the broader region and sponsored by Lords Canning and Elgin produced The Birds of India in three volumes in the 1860’s. He was also an instigator of the broader work The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma.

Price $390.00 unframed … enquire if you wish

Unusual well executed Magpie from Burma

$390.00

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Riviere de Sourabaya – by Sigismond Himely – from the Voyage of La Favourite – 1835

An original aquatint by Sigismond Himely (1801-1872)) of the River Sourabaya, Java Indonesia .

Executed on India-laid paper being plate number 58 from “Voyage Autour du Monde par les Mers de l’Inde et de la Chine de la corvette de sa Majeste La Favorite execute pendant les annees 1830,1831,1832 sous le commandement de M. Laplace” published in Paris in 1835 under the direction of Louise Auguste de Sainson.

Plate size 28.8 x 38.2 cm. Included in the National Collection as part of the Rex Nan Kivell bequest NK685. Some minor ageing around the border a pretty clean image as can be seen from the scans

Price $140.00 unframed

Delicate image of the River Sourabaya, Java – 1835

$120.00

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Wallace’s Tree Swift (Dendrochelidon Wallacei ) John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860

Original hand-coloured lithograph produced on limestone from John Gould’s most impressive series “Birds of Asia” completed and published in London circa 1860.

Gould writes in the accompanying narrative “After carefully comparing Indian specimens .. and Javanese specimens … with examples of a bird of the same form sent from Macassar by Mr Wallace, I could come to no other conclusion than that the latter is a very distinct and undescribed species, and I therefore took the opportunity of naming the bird D. Wallacei, in honour of its discoverer; not that there is any necessity for me to attempt to perpetuate the name of this gentleman as a promoter of natural science, since his writings sufficiently attest his devotion to more than one of its departments”. Gould very humble and obviously likes long sentences.

Gould goes on to say that the birds are figured a natural size. Little was then known about them … the accompanying narrative describes their colouring is some detail. The execution of the lithograph is excellent, it is very clean and the colouring still very bright and full and enhanced by the use of gum arabic which creates a sense of richness and depth

Tree swift named by John Gould in honour of Alfred Russell Wallace

$390.00

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Map of Bengal – Petrus Bertius – 1602

An original and delightful miniature copper engraved map of “Bengala” by the great geographer Bertius published in the Latin edition of his miniature atlas of 1602. The engraving were carried out by Jocodus Hondius.

The decorative map show the Bay of Bengal the main towns, surrounding hills and the rivers coming down to the delta including the sacred River Ganges. A special little map fro lover of the region.

Price $90.00 unframed or $190.00 framed in typical Voyager style with lavish gilt surround

The Mystery of Bengal Over 400 Year old

$90.00

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The Quiet American – Graham Greene

This is the Book Society in conjunction with Heinemann, London issued the same year as the principal first.

Octavo, 247, aged around page edges, private bookplate on paste down under front jacket flap. Full dust jacket in pretty good condition. All up a good to better copy of a desirable issue.

Later turned into a classic movie (how many of Green’s novels have not been?) based in Indo-China a striking story of new and old world

Greene classic – 1955 Edition

$50.00

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The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society London – April 1925 – The Great Barrier Reef

Complete edition April 1925 in original blue wrappers. Pages 281-376 after adverts, preliminaries etc with folding map at rear.

The Great Barrier Reef by Colonel Sir Gerald Lenox-Conyngham and F.A. Potts the latter talking about “Life of the Reef”. Irish born Conyngham (1866-1956) was a surveyor and geodesist of some note. He was trained at the Royal Military Academy Woolwich and at Chatham. His study partly emphasises how little was known about the Great Barrier Reef at the time and his remarks and the report of Potts resulted in some lengthy discussion afterwards with interesting references back to Bramble, Stokes, Owen Stanley etc again emphasising the importance of the knowledge gained during those early 19thC voyages.

Further of interest is a lengthy report on Nepal by Brig-General C.G. Bruce and Major Northey with a nice map and excellent photographs.

And, a good study of the North-West extensions of the Jubaland Plain and the drainage of the Upper Nile by John Parkinson

Great Barrier Reef – 1925 Perspective

$90.00

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Hooded Racket-Tailed Magpie (Crypsirhina Cucullata) From Burma – John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860′s

Riviere de Sourabaya – by Sigismond Himely – from the Voyage of La Favourite – 1835

Wallace’s Tree Swift (Dendrochelidon Wallacei ) John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860

Map of Bengal – Petrus Bertius – 1602

The Quiet American – Graham Greene

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society London – April 1925 – The Great Barrier Reef

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