Koonicklyck Banket

Handcolored 17th Century Copperplate Engraving of China / Nieuhoff - Ogilby

The image shows a banquet at which a large contingent of Dutch trade diplomats (ont he left) dine int he presence of the king (center rear at a table alone).

Platemark Dimensions: 36.5 X 29.5

Condition: Some age toning of sheet and some faint spotting. The engraving on old chainlinked paper, has been mounted on an old sheet of bond paper.

The annotated illustration includes: A. The King Sitting alone at a table. B. The Lapu or the person next to the King. C. The Hollands Ambassadors with their chief followers or traine. D. The rst of said Traine. E. Divers Tartarian and Cheeny Lords
F. Where the Tee and other drink is fild-out and carried to teh table G. Diverse Tartarian and Cheeny Servants.

These fascinating copperplate engravings come from a famous work originally published in Dutch by the trade diplomat Jan Nieuhoff, but translated into English by the British mapmaker and publisher John Ogilby.

The images provide an document of early western contact with China and come from the account written by the diplomat Jan Nieuhoff who was the steward of the first Dutch trade Ambassadors to China.

The full title of the work was:

An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperor of China, Delivered by their Excellencies Peter De Goyer, and Jacob De Keyser, at his imperial City of Peking. Wherein the Cities, Towns, Villages, Ports, Rivers, &c. in their Passages from Canton to Peking, are Ingeniously Describ'd by Mr. John Nieuhoff, Steward to the Ambassadors. Also, An Epistle of Father John Adams, their Antagonist, concerning the whole Negotiation. With an Appendix of several Remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher. Translated and published by John Ogilby

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