Small folio. 2 volumes in one
1693 · London
by LA LOUBÈRE, Simon de (1642-1729)
London: Printed by F.L. for Tho. Horne; Francis Saunders; and Tho. Bennet, 1693. Small folio. 2 volumes in one. (size). Title in red and black, 2 engraved maps, 9 engraved plates. Contemporary full calf, skilfully rebacked, spine with raised bands forming six compartments, red morocco lettering piece in the second compartment
First edition in English of one of the earliest and most detailed European accounts of Siam, based on the 1687-88 French embassy to the court of King Narai.
Simon de La Loubère was appointed by Louis XIV as special envoy to the Kingdom of Siam, then a thriving and diplomatically ambitious center of regional power. His observations, initially published in French in 1691 and translated into English in 1693, offer a remarkably systematic record of the country's government, religion, customs, language, laws, arts, sciences, and natural history at the close of the 17th century. Drawing on both his own experience and accounts of other travelers, La Loubère details his six-month stay in Ayutthaya, the capital, describing the splendor of court ceremonies, Buddhist practices, social structures, and everyday life. His work reflects both genuine curiosity and the early modern European tendency to interpret non-Western societies through classical or biblical frameworks, often leading to comparisons with ancient Egypt or Greece. The volume includes extensive notes, appendices, and illustrations, including depictions of Siamese architecture, scripts, and astronomical instruments, making it a foundational text in early Western efforts to understand Southeast Asia. A key work of cross-cultural diplomacy and early Orientalism, and a primary source for scholars of Thai history and early modern European engagement with Asia.
Cordier 723; Satow 58; Wing L-201. (Inventory #: 42215)
First edition in English of one of the earliest and most detailed European accounts of Siam, based on the 1687-88 French embassy to the court of King Narai.
Simon de La Loubère was appointed by Louis XIV as special envoy to the Kingdom of Siam, then a thriving and diplomatically ambitious center of regional power. His observations, initially published in French in 1691 and translated into English in 1693, offer a remarkably systematic record of the country's government, religion, customs, language, laws, arts, sciences, and natural history at the close of the 17th century. Drawing on both his own experience and accounts of other travelers, La Loubère details his six-month stay in Ayutthaya, the capital, describing the splendor of court ceremonies, Buddhist practices, social structures, and everyday life. His work reflects both genuine curiosity and the early modern European tendency to interpret non-Western societies through classical or biblical frameworks, often leading to comparisons with ancient Egypt or Greece. The volume includes extensive notes, appendices, and illustrations, including depictions of Siamese architecture, scripts, and astronomical instruments, making it a foundational text in early Western efforts to understand Southeast Asia. A key work of cross-cultural diplomacy and early Orientalism, and a primary source for scholars of Thai history and early modern European engagement with Asia.
Cordier 723; Satow 58; Wing L-201. (Inventory #: 42215)
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