‎BRUINS, CORNELIS DE (OR BRUYN, OR BRUIJN.)‎
‎Reizen over Moskovie, door Persie en Indie: Verrykt met Driehondert kunstplaten, Vertoonende de beroemste lantschappen en steden, ook de byzondere dragten, beesten, gewassen en planten, die daer gevonden worden: Voor al derzelver oudheden, En wel voornamentlyk heel uitvoerig, die van het heerlyke en van oudts de geheele werrelt door defaemde Hof van Persepolis, By den Persianen Tchilminar genaemt. Alles door den Auteur zelf met groote naeuwkeurigheit na't leven afgetekent, en noit voor dezen in 't ligt gebragt.‎

‎'t Amsterdam, Gedrukt voor den Auteur, Door Willem en David Goeree, 1711. Title printed in red and black, with frontispiece by Picart, engraved portrait of de Bruin by G. Kneller, 2 folding maps, 260 numbered engraved plates (many of which are folding), and 37 text engravings, not numbered, including views and portraits. [12, including engraved title and portrait], 472, [12] pp. Folio (33,6 x 22,2 cm). Contemporary blind stamped vellum, spine with six raised bands. Tiele 209; Catalogue Russica B.2184; Catalogus Nederlandsch Historisch Scheepvaart Museum, p. 257; Chadenat 5085 (the 1718 edition). First edition of one of the most richly illustrated voyages through Russia, Persia (today's Iran) and adjacent countries and territories by the Dutch artist and traveller Cornelis de Bruijn. De Bruin left Amsterdam and sailed along the coast of Norway to Archangel above the polar circle, travelled by river and over land southwards through Russia (where he stayed for over a year in Moscow and where he engaged in conversations with Peter the Great, in Dutch), on to the Caspian Sea, from there over land by way of Asia Minor (Turkey) to Persia where he spend a year in Isfahan after which he headed for Persepolis, destroyed by Alexander the Great and which had his special interest. He spend three months there carefully drawing the ruins of the palace, the remaining reliefs and cuneiform inscriptions. His drawings of these ruins are the first reliable pictures of this palace made accessible to Western scholars. From Persia he travelled to India, Ceylon and the East Indies and returned by much the same route, this time visiting the ruins of Pasaragdes in Persia. This is an extensive and very important work in both naval and travel history. It contains many beautiful and large panoramic views of places such as Archangel, Moscow and Isfahan, Persepolis, Astrakhan and others, some of very considerable size when unfolded, portraits of Samoyeds, many illustrations of local flora and fauna, costumes, natives, birds, plants and fish and early depictions of an Australian aborigine and a Kangaroo. The plates 93-94 bound after 95-96; 142 after 146; 206 after 207-211 and 212-213 bound before 207-211. The last pages contain the list of the 260 plates and where they had to placed in the book, as well as errata. The plates are in good and strong impression. Page 414 with a small damage touching some letters, a very good copy. ‎

Reference : 26926

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