Mémoires concernant l'histoire, les sciences, les arts, les moeurs, les usages, &c. des Chinois. Par les Missionnaires de Pékin.

15 vol., 4to: [4]-xvi-485-[1], viii-650, 504, iv-510, [4]-518, [4]-380, xii-iii/x-396, viii-376, xxiv- 470, xi-[1]-510, xxii-[2]-610, [4]-viii-532, [4]-xvi-543, xvi-561-[1], [4]-xx-516 pp.; 193 pl.

Contemp. marbled calf, gilt decorated spines with raised bands, red edges (some sm. traces of use).

First edition abundantly illustrated with 193 engraved plates: 2 frontispieces, 158 plates (5 fold.) and 33 tables (3 fold.). Important compilation written by the Jesuits in Beijing (esp. by Amiot, Aloys de Poirot, Aloys Kao and Pierre-Martial Cibot) on the art of war (Sun-Tzu, Ou-Tse...), music, food, astronomy, botany, Tael currency, horses, the life of Confucius... With also a Manchu-Tartar grammar, portraits of famous Chinese figures etc. Vol. 9 contains a parallel translation French-Italian by Poirot of letters written in Tartar by the Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722) to his sons. Table of contents in vol. 10. A 16th vol. was published In 1814 dealing with Chinese chronology.
Ref. Cordier 54-56. - DBS I-300/302:26. - China Illustrata nova 589 etc. (our copy).
For Amiot "Art militaire des Chinois", see n. 975.