La Pisciculture et la pêche en Chine. Ouvrage accompagné de 51 planches représentant les principaux instruments de pisciculture et engins de pêche employés par les Chinois et quelques nouvelles espèces de poissons recueillies en Chine par P. D. de Thiersant. Précédé d'une introduction sur la pisciculture chez les divers peuples par le Dr. J.-L. Soubeiran

First edition of this important and very rare work, issued in a small number of copies (cf. Catalogue Petit 656. Bibliotheca piscatoria p. 75. Nissen Zool. 1018.)

Our copy is complete with its 51 plates (numbered I-L, including one bis plate), notably depicting the principal instruments of fish culture and fishing implements used by the Chinese.

Contemporary-style black half shagreen over corners, smooth spine decorated with double gilt fillets, gilt ornaments at head and foot, marbled paper sides, green endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers preserved, lined and restored, modern binding.

Some foxing and marginal waterstaining to certain leaves (particularly at the beginning of the volume), printed library stamps in the right margins of page IX of the foreword and on the upper cover.

The 51 lithographed plates are divided into two groups: Nets and Fish-Culture Instruments, 36 plates numbered I to XXXV bis; New Species of Fish from China, 15 plates numbered XXXVI to L.

Curiously, the table of plates records only the first series.

Claude-Philibert Dabry de Thiersant (1826-1898) was for a time in the military before entering the consular service (1857 to 1871). He was the author of numerous works on China, on subjects as varied as medicine, fish culture, religion, and military organization.