Ambassades memorables de la Compagnie des Indes orientales des Provinces Unies vers les empereurs du Japon.

Amsterdam : Jacob de Meurs, 1680. First edition in French. Folio, contemporary morocco, ruled in gilt with corner fleurons, spine in compartments with raised bands, elaborate gilt tooling, contrasting morocco title label lettered in gilt, general scuffing, expertly rebacked, marbled endpapers, frontispiece engraving, 6 preliminary pages; large folding engraved map of the Tokaido road from Osacca (Osaka) to Iedo (Tokyo) and from Nangasacqui (Nagasaki) to Osacca, pp. 227; (8 – table); [blank]; 146; [6 – table], 4 folding plates, 21 double-page plates, 70 engraved text illustrations, occasional foxing, a fine copy.

The first edition in French of Montanus’ detailed and extensive compilation of western accounts of Japan, largely compiled from sources in the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The first major non-Jesuit European work to deal exclusively with Japan, it was first published in Dutch in 1669 and in English in 1670. This edition is the first to include the plate of Fort Zeelandia in Taiwan.

“Exceedingly rare. The plates to this work represent a high-water mark in book illustrations of the 17th century. Apart from these, this book remains one of the most curious of the numerous works of travel in the Orient during the 17th century” – Cox.

Cordier Japonica p.385 ;  Landwehr, VOC 525