Breda, 1855 [but Dejima, 1857]. Octavo, contemporary Japanese binding of half green calf over marbled papered boards; front free-endpaper with early Japanese owner’s seal stamps in red; pp. vi, 147; Japanese inscription in kanji to rear pastedown; a few leaves with minor worming, else a good copy, housed in a gilt decorated morocco clamshell box with gilt lettered label ‘Deshima 1855’ to spine. This early Dejima imprint is the third part in a series of Dutch military manuals, originally published in Breda in 1855 and reprinted at Nagasaki – probably in 1857, as the title-pages of the first two parts include the statement ‘Nagedrukt te Nagaski en het Jaar Ansei 4‘ (i.e. 1857). A Japanese translation was made by Ōtsuka Dōan (1795–1855) and published in Nagasaki around the same time. The subject matter of the book reflects Japanese interest in acquiring Western military and tactical knowledge during the late Edo period. Dejima (or Deshima) was a small artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. The island came to serve as the principal port for direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period (1603-1868). It was used by the Dutch as a trading post from 1641-1853. It was also an important port for regulating the importation of European books. Until about 1857, the Japanese submitted order forms to the Dutch for European books, while the Dutch themselves had works imported as gifts for Japanese officials or in the anticipation of what might interest the Japanese. There are very few extant copies of Dutch-language books printed at Dejima in the period between 1853 and 1860. Very rare. A small number of examples are held in Dutch and Japanese libraries.
