Thanks to Paula Findlen, the audience, and all our sponsors for a fantastic conclusion to the ORBI 2015-16 lecture series, with a talk on the global networks behind Athanasius Kircher’s China illustrata. Here are some photos and call numbers of select rare works from the display.

 

 

 

Kircher and Competitors.

Athanasius Kircher, Athanasii Kircheri e Soc. Jesu China monumentis, qvà sacris quà profanis, nec non variis naturæ & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata (Amsterdam: Waesberge, 1667). Warner C 951 K632 Shelf

Arnoldus Montanus, Atlas Chinensis : being a second part of A relation of remarkable passages in two embassies from the East-India Company of the United Provinces to the Vice-Roy Singlamong and General Taising Lipovi, and to Konchi, Emperor of China and East-Tartary, trans. John Ogilby (London: Johnson, 1671 Warner C 915.1 Og4  Shelf C.

Arnoldus Montanus,  Die Gesantshaften an die Keiser van Japan (Amsterdam, 1670) RB 915.2 M762

Juan de Palafox y Mendoça.  Historia de la conquista de la China por el Tartaro (Paris, 1670). RBC DS 754. P15 .

This is a very global book – printed in Paris in Spanish by an author in Mexico who wrote on China based on reports out of the Philippines.

Amiot, Joseph Marie, and Isidore Stanislas Helman. 1788. Abrégé historique des principaux traits de la vie de Confucius, célèbre philosophe chinois. Paris: Chez l’auteur et chez M. Ponce, graveur. 299.51 Am55.

This fully engraved work is by the French Jesuit Amiot, who unlike Kircher, worked most of his life in Beijing.
Books from the same printer as the Kircher, the Waesberge shop of Amsterdam.

Note that in contrast to the Jesuit Kircher, these are works by a notoriously irreverant figure (Bonaventura Vulcanius worked in both Catholic and Calvinist settings; another scholar claimed his religion was “dice and drink”)  and an exemplary Protestant, Isaac Casaubon.

Arriani De expedit. Alex. Magni historiarum libri VII. Ejusdem Indica. ex Bonavent. Vulcanii Brug. interpretatione. Amstelodami, J. Janssonium à Waesberge & viduam E. Weyerstraet; 1668. Quayle Collection (Q014 )

Polybii Lycortae f. Megalopolitani historiarum libri qui supersunt. Translated by Isaac Casaubon.  Amstelodami : Ex officinâ Johannis Janssonii à Waesberge, & Johannis van Someren; 1670.  Quayle Collection (Q257 )

 

Books with a Jesuit Provenance.

Nicolaus Monardes, De simplicibus medicamentis ex occidentali india delatus, quorum in medicina usus est (Antwerp: Plantin, 1574), 55. RBC RS 178.07 1574.

Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, On the Motion of Animals De motu Animalium,  (Rome: Bernabò, 1680).  RBC QP 301.B6 1680

Bochius, Joannes. 1608. Ioannis Bochii s.p.q. Antuerp. à secretis In psalmos Davidis variæ observationes, physicæ, ethicæ, politicæ, et historicæ.: Item prophetæ regii vita, & alia nonnulla, ad psalmorvm lucem. Antverpiæ: ex officina Plantiniana, apud Ioannem Moretum. (Q 032)

Engelgrave, Henricus. 1669. Coelum empyreum, non vanis et fictis constellationum monstris belluatum, sed divum domus, Domini Jesu Christi, ejusque illibatae Virginis Matris Mariae, sanctorum apostolorum, martyrum, confessorum, virginum, nec non sacrarum religionum, patriarcharum, aliorumque tutelarium, praeclaris factis, ac raris virtutibus, velut tot lucidissimis stellis in perpetuas aeternitates micantibus, splendide illustratum. Coloniae: prostant apud Gabrielem à Roy, Amstelodami. (Q126)

 

The first atlas, and two geographic textbooks, one by Philipp Clüver, a seminal historical geographer (and foot traveler) and the other by the French Royal cartographer, Nicolas de Fer.

Abraham Ortelius, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum (Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, [1579?]).RB 910 Or8

Clüver, Philipp, Johannes Buno, Johann Friedrich Heckel, and Johannes Reiske. 1711. Philippi Cluverii Introductio in universam geographam tam veterem quam novam. Londini: Typis M. Jenour, impensis Joannis Nicholsoni, bibliopolae. RB 910 C627

Fer, Nicolas de. 1717. Introduction à la géographie avec une description historique sur touttes les parties de la Terre. Par N. de Fer geographie de sa Majesté Catholique. Dediée a Mr. De La Hire professeur Roïal et de l’Academie des Sciences. Seconde édition. Augmentée des longitudes et latitudes des principales villes. Suivant les dernières observations. RB 910 F37

Views of Rome, Ancient and Modern

Guidonis Pancirolli Rerum memorabilium sive deperditarum, pars prior [et posterior]. Francofurti : Sumptibus Godefridi Tampachij; 1629]-1631. Rare Books (T33 .P2 1629 ) – a recent acquisition.

Pronti, Domenico. 1795. Nuova raccolta di 100 vedutine antiche della cittá di Roma e su vicinanze. Roma: Presso il sud.o Incisore. RBC NA310.P7 (The special collections at AAA has a large collection of such views of Roe).