Kircher \"China Monumentis\" 1667 First Latin Edition – Rare Jesuit Work on China For Sale

Item DescriptionAuthor: Athanasius Kircher (1602–1680)
Title: China monumentis qua sacris qua profanis, nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis illustrata
Publisher: Amstelodami, Joannem Janssonium a Waesberge & Elizeum Weyerstraet
Year: 1667
Language: Latin
Pages: [14], 237, [11]
Binding: Full contemporary vellum
Size: 38.5 × 25 cm (15.2 × 9.8 in)
A rare and monumental first Latin edition (1667) of China Monumentis by Athanasius Kircher, one of the most important Jesuit works on China and East Asia in the 17th century.
This encyclopedic folio is a cornerstone of early Sinology, compiling reports from Jesuit missionaries about China, Japan, India, Persia, and other regions, and presenting them through Kircher’s unique synthesis of science, religion, mythology, and art.
The book is richly illustrated with 23 full-page engravings, 2 folding maps (including the famous Imperium Sinicum map), the Nestorian Stele, botanical plates, depictions of Chinese rituals, Buddhist statues, and more. The text also contains 59 in-text engravings throughout.
The illustrations, while often imaginative, deeply influenced how 17th-century Europe envisioned the Far East. This copy is the true first edition, not the later unauthorized reprint by Jacob van Meurs.
📚 Condition
Original contemporary vellum binding with wear, stains, and edge scuffs consistent with age.
Minor tears and marginal losses present throughout, including a repaired 10 cm tear on the Nestorian Stele plate.
Several small wormholes in the margins, occasional foxing and age toning.
Plates complete and in strong impressions. Maps present.
A remarkable survival of this landmark 17th-century Sinological work.
🌏 Significance
One of the earliest and most influential Western books on China and East Asia.
Includes the first Western printed map of China with Japan and Korea.
Contains some of the earliest European depictions of Chinese religion, philosophy, flora, fauna, and architecture.
Highly sought after by collectors of Jesuit history, early travel literature, and Asian studies.Shipping Worldwide Flat Rate
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