THUNBERG, CARL PETER.

Voyages de C. P. Thunberg, au Japon, par le Cap de Bonne-Espérance, les isles de la Sonde, &c.

Paris, Chez Benoit Dandré, 1796.

4to. Bound in two nice uniform contemporary full calf bindings with black tome and title-labels to spines. Spine with gilt ornamentation. Gilt borders to boards and gilt lines to edges of boards. Light overall wear to extremities, especially to capitals. Top of front hindge on vol. 1 cracked. Very light occassional brownspotting throughout. An overall very nice set. (6), (I)-XLII, (1), 501, (2) pp. + 6 plates (including frontiespiece); (6), (I)-VIII, (1)-544 pp. + 23 plates.

A fine copy of the first quarto edition in the French Language of Thunberg's important 'Resa' (1788-93). The work contains material of great ethnographic interest and Thunberg is often referred to as the "the Japanese Linnaeus". Thunberg left Holland in 1771 and returned in 1778, spending three years at the Cape and five in Japan he became the first Western Scientist to investigate Japan's botany:

"After his stay in Paris Thunberg returned to Amsterdam and was offered the opportunity to go to Japan in the service of Dutch merchants (Poll, Deutz and Hoven), to collect plants for the Amsterdam botanical garden and for their own collections. In order to be admitted in Japan, Thunberg had to pass as a Dutchman; he therefore spent 3 years in the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope, becoming acquainted with the Dutch language and collecting plant material. After that he spent half a year on Java, and in August 1775 he arrived in Japan (Nagasaki). After his return from Japan, in November 1776, he spent another half year on Java...." (Stafleu, Linnaeus and the Linnaeans, p. 154).

Cordier 447
Gay 3151
Nipponalia 1972
Brunet 5:850

Order-nr.: 57767