De Bry Grands Voyages Part 9 - “Americae nona & Postrema Pars” - 1602 - Acosta, De Weert, Van Noort

De Bry Grands Voyages Part 9 -  Some of the earliest Western images of Japan

“Americae nona & Postrema Pars”

Published in Frankfurt am Main - M Becker - 1602

 17th Century near contemporary full calf with wide borders

Some wear, stains light moisture marks to pages. Binding joints strengthened.

Folio - 34 x 23 cm

TP, [3], 362, 56, TP, Map, 25 plates, TP, 100, TP, 14 plates

This substantial part of De Bry Grands Voyages contains three separate accounts:

-Acosta’s “Historia natural y moral de las Indias”

-Sebald de Weert’s voyage to the Spice Islands by way of the Straights of Magellen

-Olivier van Noort’s Circumnavigation.

This 9th part, published in 1602, was originally designed to be the last part of De Bry’s Grands voyages, but it was rekindled in 1619 with parts 10-14.

The book is an important early source on Japan as it contains two of the earliest images of the Japanese. The first is rather fanciful, appearing in Acosta’s description of the Indias. shows the Japanese weighing their sins in a large scale over the edge of a cliff!

The second is a depiction of Japanese samurai merchants by Van Noort:

 “When the Hollanders were no longer far from the coast, they had a ship from Japan meet them, the ships of which are here alluded to. They are of a tall and erect body, dressed in the habit of the Poles, and clothed with the promised tunics. The first among these was your precious silk, conspicuously interwoven with flowers. They are skilful and industrious soldiers who know how to use weapons such as bows, spears, guns, and spears very efficiently. The entire bald head is shaved, at least at the end, and on the nape of the neck they feed an oblong tuft.”

£6500

Click here for other parts of De Bry's Grands Voyages