Folio (375 x 243 mm). Engraved portrait frontispiece, engraved title, engraved vignette on title-page, 22 engraved plates (of 23, lacking ZZZ "Pons Volans"), 60 engraved illustrations in text. (First and last few leaves remargined, a few plates with repairs, some light spotting.) Modern calf. Provenance: Thomas Smith (early signature on title-page); Thomas Aylwin (library stamp on title-page). 

FIRST EDITION of Kircher's detailed and finely illustrated treatise on Chinese art, culture, costume, history, government, geography, religion, architecture, language, flora and fauna. Kircher based his work on correspondence with fellow Jesuits in China, and it is one of only a few comprehensive scholarly accounts of China published in the 17th century. His work was incredibly popular, and was translated into Dutch in 1668, English in 1669, and French in 1670.  Brunet III:666; Caillet 5773; Honeyman V:1824; Lust 37 (an "influential general description of China"); Merrill Kircher 20.