Vijf Jaren in Japan (1857-1863). [Five Years in Japan]

Vijf Jaren in Japan (1857-1863). [Five Years in Japan] by J.C.L. Pompe van Meerdervoort

[Japan] Bijdragen tot de kennis van het Japansche Keizerrijk en zijne bevolking. A very important work and one of the earliest by a Westerner actually living in Japan. Pompe van Meerdervoort  (1829-1908), a Dutch physician went to Japan and lived on Dejima (Nagasaki) from 1857. He taught medicine and other topics to a number of young Japanese people, as well as the basics of photography to Ueno Hikoma, who would go on to become one of Japan's best photographers of the Meiji era. This matching pair of books in their original decorative boards were owned by Jeannette C. van der Corput, who used them for background information while translating the diary of Henry Heusken for her 1964 book, 'Japan Journal 1855-61'. Acquired from a descendant of Jeannette C. van der Corput.

Leiden. Van den Heuvell & Van Santen. 1867-1868.

2 volumes. Volume 1: pp xii, 335, [1]; Volume 2: pp. vi, 357, [1]. Each volume with 2 coloured frontispieces, 12 plates of which 10 are coloured and 1 coloured folding map.

In very good to fine condition. Minor age wear. Van der Corput's pencil notes, some lines in colour pencil, and page markers still present. Very minor damage to small area of spine covering of volume 2. b34031138