14th-century tales of travels in Turkey, the Middle East, Near East, India and the East Indies 1730

Various artists

PaperLeather
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• About the artwork
  The travels and voyages of Sir John Mandevile, knt. Containing an exact description of the way to Hierusalem, Great Caan, India, the country of Preston-John, and many other eastern countries: with an account of many strange monsters, and whatever is curious and remarkable therein.
  London, printed for John Osborne and James Hodges, [1730?]. 12mo. With woodcut frontispiece, woodcut illustration on title-page and 12 woodcut illustrations in text. Contemporary sheepskin, subtly rebacked.
  
  Very rare 18th-century English edition of a classic and partly fictional 14th-century account of travels presented as voyages of Sir John Mandeville through Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Persia, Arabia, India and the East Indies. According to the story he set off on his travels in 1322 from Saint Albans in England, returned in 1343, wrote the present account in 1364 and died in 1371. It was originally written in French and is thought to have been compiled from various sources by Jehan d'Outremeuse (1338-1400) of Liege. It includes many well-known stories and illustrations of monstrous people and animals in exotic lands. The book also includes genuine descriptions of the regions covered and gave many Europeans their first notions of the Near East, Middle East, India and East Indies. The part on Arabia includes an account of the birth of Mohammed.
  
  Slightly browned and with spots throughout, a few smudges, stain in A4/5, three lines on p. 60 struck through and made illegible, apparently the same happened on pp. 79/80 but the part is cut out and replaced with manuscript in pencil, this caused some offsetting on the facing pages. A fair copy. Without pastedowns (possibly never present) and rebacked, as noted.
  
  ESTC T100830 (3 copies); Lust 276; WorldCat (1 copy, incomplete).
• About the artist
  More than one artist has worked on this object.