Atlas Japannensis: being Remarkable Addresses by way of Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Emperor of Japan.

Containing a description of their several territories, cities, temples and fortresses; their religions, laws and customs; their prodigious wealth and gorgeous habits; the nature of their soil, plants, beasts, hills, rivers and foundations, with the Character of the ancient and modern Japanners. Collected out of their several writings and journals by Arnoldus Montanus. English’d, and Adorn’d with above a humdred several sculptures, by John Ogilby Esq;Master of His Majesties Revels in the Kingdom of Ireland. London : Printed by Tho. Johnson for the Author, 1670. Folio (425 x 280 mm), contemporary panelled marbled calf, expertly rebacked, boards with double gilt rule and ornment, spine in compartments with elaborate gilt-tooled floral decoration and contrasting title label lettered in gilt; marbled edges; front pastedown with early armorial bookplate of the Duke of Leeds, and old Isseido bookseller’s ticket; additonal engraved title-leaf, main title-leaf in red and black, dedication leaf, pp. 488; with 25 copper-engraved plates (20 double-page and 5 folding, including the map of Japan), and 70 engraved illustrations in the text; wide margins with side notes; crisp, clean and complete, occasional light browning, but a truly exceptional copy in a beautiful contemporary binding.

First English edition, translated by John Ogilby, of this monumental and justly celebrated work on Japan, first published in Dutch in 1669, 

‘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. Among the subjects discussed are the following: Murder in Japan, Japanese wrestlers, Japanese baths, jugglers and necromancers, burning of widows, women-raping by baboons, blood-baths, Japanese tortures, boiling waters of Singok, gardens, Japanese wines, whaling in Japan etc.’ (Cox)

Cordier, BJ, 384-85 ; Wing, M2485; Cox I, 325-26; Landwehr, VOC, 524; Alt-Japan-Katalog,105