Pococke, Richard. A Description of the East and Some Other Countries

AUCTION 40 | Thursday, June 26th, 2008 at 1:00

Fine Judaica: Printed Books, Manuscripts, Autograph Letters, Graphic & Ceremonial Art

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Lot 214

(TRAVEL)

Pococke, Richard. A Description of the East and Some Other Countries

FIRST EDITION. Two volumes. Engraved title-vignettes. Vol. I: Observations on Egypt. pp. vi, (8), 310. Five fold out map/plans and 69 plates. Vol. II, Part I: Observations on Palestine or the Holy Land, Syria, Mesopotamia, Cyprus, and Candia. pp. xi, (1), 268. Six fold out maps/plans and approx. 99 plates. Vol. II, Part II: Observations on the Islands of the Archipelago, Asia Minor, Thrace, Greece, and some other Parts of Europe. pp. vii, (1), 308 Few light stains, some offsetting from plates. Uniform modern morocco-backed boards. Folio. Blackmer, 1323; Tobler pp. 127-28; Röhricht 1396

London: W. Bowyer 1743-45

Est: $6,000 - $9,000

PRICE REALIZED $5,800

This detailed description of Pococke's travels includes numerous engraved plates, based upon observations over the course of his travels. Pococke combined determined scholarly curiousity with artistic ability of a high order, as the present work so ably demonstrates. He provides descriptions of all aspects - history and culture as well as plates of costumes, plants and views as well as detailed plans. He also criticizes the Travels written by Thomas Shau in 1738 (see previous Lot). In Vol. II, the map of Jerusalem was one of the first scientific maps of the city oriented from a vertical perspective