Botfield copy, superbly bound. Rare. A superbly bound copy of La Chine by Malpiere, a work which is seldom found complete, and which consists 'of a huge collection of attractively lithographed copies of scenes from Chinese life of the mid-Ch'ing period' (Lust).

Issued in 30 parts, each containing 6 hand-coloured lithographic plates, copied from the engraved plates in William Alexander's Picturesque representations of the dress and manners of the Chinese. In calling for 97 rather than 96 plates in volume II, Colas appears to be including the illustration 'L'union des sarcelles,' which is included on the plate list. In this copy, the plate 'L'hommage des Sarcelles', which accompanies the music, has no descriptive text, making the unnumbered leaves of text 94 in total rather than 95 as called for by Lipperheide or 96 by Colas.

First edition; 2 volumes, 4to (34.5 x 24.7 cm.). 2 hand-coloured lithographed titles, 179 hand-coloured lithographed plates by Deveria, Regnier, Schaal, Schmit, and Vidal after Castiglione, Pu-Qua, W. Alexander, Chambers, and others, including a hand-coloured plan of Peking, 4 leaves of engraved music in vol. 2 with a hand-coloured title illustration: some spotting and browning as usual, 3 plates in vol. II with large splash marks; contemporary nineteenth-century red morocco gilt, covers panelled with foliate roll-tool borders gilt, spines gilt in compartments, green morocco lettering-pieces, gilt edges; spines sunned, a fine set.

Colas 1957; Cordier (Sinica) I, 69; Lipperheide 1532; Lust 60.