Lettre de Pékin, sur le génie de la langue chinoise, et la nature de leur écriture symbolique, comparée avec celle des anciens Egyptiens ; en réponse à celle de la Société royale des sciences de Londres, sur le même sujet : on y a joint l'extrait de deux ouvrages nouveaux de Mr. de Guignes, de l'Académie des Inscriptions & Belles-Lettres de Paris, relatifs aux mêmes matières. Par un père de la Compagnie de Jésus, missionnaire à Pékin

First edition, illustrated at the end of the volume with 28 hors-texte plates of Chinese ideograms (cf. Cordier, Sinica, 1735-36; Backer & Sommervogel II, 1168 (2)).

The table of plates lists 27; Backer records 29; our copy contains 28, whereas most copies indeed call for 27.

Modern half fawn calf, smooth spine ruled in gilt with double fillets and gilt floral tools, brown speckled paper-covered boards, speckled top edge. The sole edition of a work thoroughly informed on the ideogrammatic origins of Chinese characters, thereby contradicting the thesis advanced by the English orientalist Needham concerning the supposed analogy between Chinese writing and the Egyptian hieroglyphs discovered on a bust of Isis acquired in Turin.

Pierre-Martial Cibot (1727–1780), admitted into the Society of Jesus in 1743, was, at his own request, sent to China in 1758, where he served principally as fountain engineer and gardener at the Palace of Qianlong.

His researches were devoted chiefly to botany.

An attractive copy.