China - Asia - Lot 208

Lot 208
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China - Asia - Lot 208
China - Asia MACARTNEY (George), Lord A Journey into the Interior of China and Tartary, Undertaken in the Years 1792, 1793, and 1794 by Lord Macartney. Translated from the English, with notes, by J. Castéra. Paris, Buisson, Year XII (1804). 5 in-8 volumes (text) and an in-4 atlas illustrated with 41 plates (including 4 fold-out maps). Slight angular discoloration at the top of 3 volumes. ½ contemporary fawn sheepskin, smooth decorated spines, red title labels, scuffing, rubbing, and minor bumps from use (text) – ½ brown sheepskin, smooth spine, title label, gilt fillets, rubbing (atlas). The journey was published based on the papers of Lord Macartney and his secretary, Sir George Staunton. Macartney was sent to China by order of King George III with the aim of establishing trade relations, meeting with the Chinese elite, and reporting on all possible observations. He set sail aboard a fleet of three ships—the Lion, the Indostan, and the Chacal—and traveled through much of China, making stops in Tianjin and Beijing. This mission was a complete failure due to cultural differences. Indeed, diplomatic relations could not be conducted on an equal footing from the Chinese perspective, as ambassadors were required to prostrate themselves before the emperor and pledge allegiance to him—a demand that Macartney refused, since he could not accept any subordination of the King of England to the Emperor of China. China’s categorical rejection of trade relations laid the groundwork for what would become the Opium Wars and the fall of the Chinese Empire. The book remains, however, one of the best descriptions of the regions Macartney traveled through, offering insights into science, natural history, and the aristocracy, and will be useful to those interested in Macartney’s legacy.
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