the phillipps copy

The copy of Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792-1872), notorious bibliophile, with his manuscript index number to front pastedown. A bright set of these magnificent lithographs of Javanese costume, topography, weapons, and coins. The folding map shows the whole of Java. The work was originally published in parts.

Josef Jakob Xaver Pfyffer zu Neueck (1798-1853) was a Swiss officer in the Netherlands Indies Army between 1819 and 1827. His description of the island and its various inhabitants is an important work on the cultural history of Java due to his precise observation and clear depiction of the conditions of the Javanese peoples.

First edition; small folio (33 x 24.5 cm); 15 fine hand-coloured lithograph plates heightened with gum arabic after Johannes Schiess, additional lithographed title, folding map as frontispiece, small bookplate and ms. index number to front pastedown, some light occasional spotting, plates fresh and bright; 19th-century quarter calf, marbled boards, flat spine lettered in gilt, all edges yellow, extremities slightly rubbed, otherwise a very good copy; [2], iv, 93, 11pp.

Bastin & Brommer 186; Colas 2342; Lipperheide 1488; Vinet 2361.