De Bry Grands Voyages Part 9 -  amongst the earliest Western images of the Japanese

“Americae nona & Postrema Pars”

Published in Frankfurt am Main - M Becker - 1602

 17th Century near contemporary full calf with wide borders

Some wear, stains light moisture marks to pages. Binding joints strengthened (not re-backed).

Folio - 34 x 23 cm

Collation (Complete): TP, [3], 362, 56, TP, Map, 25 plates, TP, 100, TP, 14 plates

The ninth part of De Bry Grands Voyages contains 3 separate accounts: Acosta’s “Historia natural y moral de las Indias”, Sebald de Weert’s voyage to the Spice Islands by way of the Straights of Magellan, and Olivier van Noort’s Circumnavigation.

The book is an important early source on Japan as it contains two of the earliest images of the Japanese.

The first image, which appears in Acosta’s description of the Indies, shows the Japanese weighing their sins in a large scale over the edge of a cliff.

The second is a depiction of Japanese samurai merchants by Van Noort with the caption:

 “When the Hollanders were no longer far from the coast, they had a ship from Japan meet them, the ships of which are here alluded to. They are of a tall and erect body, dressed in the habit of the Poles, and clothed with the promised tunics. The first among these was your precious silk, conspicuously interwoven with flowers. They are skilful and industrious soldiers who know how to use weapons such as bows, spears and guns, very efficiently. The entire head is shaved apart from the nape of the neck they have a knot of hair.”

£6500

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