London: printed by the author at his house in White-Friers. 1673. Edition: First Edition., Binding: 18th century brown speckled paper boards, rebacked in brown calf preserving 18th century spine. Spine with 6 slightly-raised bands, gilt lettering on morocco label in second compartment. , Notes: Large Folio (415 x 265 mm).
John Ogilby (1600 – 1676) was a Scottish translator, impresario, printer, and cartographer. Ogilby took on an ambitious project in writing a multi-volume description of the world, the third of which would be on Asia. Ogilby’s Asia volume is largely a translation of Olfert Dapper’s Asia; Oder, Genaue, Und Grundliche Beschreibung Des Gantzen Syrien Und Palestins, Oder Belobten Landes…, published a year earlier. Ogilby’s volume “covers all of Asia, excluding China and Japan. It contains accounts of the Persian Empire, a discourse on oriental languages and the practice of suttee,” the Hindu custom of a wife immolating herself either on the funeral pyre of her dead husband or in some other fashion soon after his death.

, Size: Large Folio, Illustration: A very good example of Ogilby’s prolific account of Asia. 34 plates, of which 16 are double-page and 1 folding; in addition to 30 in-text vignettes. With 5 maps, including “A Generall Mapp of Asia,” coloured. Lacking “General Description of Asia” text. Title in red and black, text printed in two columns, inhabited initials. Some errors in pagination, but text continuous: follows 1-8, 8…; 55 misnumbered as 57; 90 as 82; 95 as 87. , References: Brunet IV, 174; Cox I, 275; DNB, XIV, pp. 908-911; ESTC R32245; Ghani p. 285; Wilson p. 161; Wing O166. , Pages: P. Blank. Frontispiece. Title in black and red. Blank. Dedication. Blank. Plate index. Blank. Double-page map. P. 1-253. Blank. Table (15). Blank. Folding map., Category: Book Asia Middle East Iran; Book Asia Central India & Ceylon / Sri Lanka;. Some leaves with light edgewear, tears, most repaired. Interior is clean and crisp. Item #B6936

Price: $8,500.00