Picturesque Representations of the Dress and Manners of the Chinese

London: John Murray, London, 1814. 1st. Edition. Lacks title page. With 50 hand-coloured aquatints (a pictorial title and 49 plates). The 50th plate is numbered 46, however that number crossed out and replaced with the number 50 written by hand. The plates are printed with "published for J. Murray . 1814” at the bottom. The plates are clean and the colours bright and vibrant. Some occasional foxing and browning/toning around the edges of the pages but not affecting the images. Only Plate 9 is affected by off-setting. The hand-coloured plates illustrate images of various professions including entertainers, imperial costumes, tradesmen, musicians, street scenes, soldiers etc. The descriptions are bound in following the plates, not opposite them.

It would appear that this book was originally issued with half red morocco over marbled paper boards binding. This volume retains the publisher’s original marbled paper covered boards with the title “Costume of China Fifty Coloured Engravings Three Guineas” on a paper label in the centre of the front cover and the original, rather worn, red leather corners. The spine has been recently re-backed in red morocco with five raided bands with titles in gilt between the first and second bands.