Callery, Joseph-Marie, Systema phoneticum scripturae sinicae. Auctore J. M. Callery, missionario apostolico in Sinis. Pars prima [- secunda], 1841 Macao. [Printed at the author’s private press].

Callery, Joseph-Marie

Systema phoneticum scripturae sinicae. Auctore J. M. Callery, missionario apostolico in Sinis. Pars prima [- secunda], 1841 Macao. [Printed at the author’s private press].

Printed in Macao, a guide to writing Chinese characters in three styles, printed with the aid of Macao locals with little resources

The extremely rare first edition in folio of “the most important of Callery’s sinological works. The author states in the foreword how he set up his own printing office for this work, bought a small set of used types and, with the help of 6 natives, all inexperienced in Western languages, and with restricted funds and availability of materials, succeeded in producing this guide to writing Chinese characters in three styles, together with a trilingual dictionary (Chinese-French-Latin), and a collection of sentences in colloquial Chinese” (Löwendahl).

$ 11,000.00

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Two parts in one volume, folio, (340 x 225 mm). pp. [2 (title)], [2 (title in Chinese on blue paper)], iii, [1 blank], 84, xxxvi, 64, [2 (index)]; [6], 500, [2 (errata)], with pp. 5-8, 13-16, 21-32, 317-320, and 489-492 printed on large 8vo leaves mounted on guards, with some slip-cancels pasted to e.g. pp. 271, 383, and 467; Chinese characters throughout. Contemporary marbled paper over boards, gilt-lettered red spine label, some light wear to extremities, endpapers foxed and browned. Occasional light browning to margins, a few spots and light marks, short closed tear to foot of pt. 1 pp. 81-2; overall a remarkably good copy, especially considering the fragility of the locally produced paper, partly uncut.

The Systema was published in both 8vo and folio formats; in the preface Callery explains how, with limited funds and materials, he established a small printing office, acquired a set of used types, and with six local assistants inexperienced in Western languages set the work himself. The "Systema" presents a guide to writing Chinese characters in three styles, followed by a trilingual (Chinese-French-Latin) dictionary and a large collection of colloquial sentences; Part II includes a double page all Chinese “Tabula synoptica phoneticarum omnium”.

A substantial Macao production on fragile, locally made paper, here preserved in remarkable state with wide margins and the contemporary boards, and bearing the ticket of the leading Paris Orientalist bookseller Benjamin Duprat.

Ernest Leroux’s 1876 Catalogue des livres Chinois provenant de la bibliothèque de feu M. J.-M. Callery lists copies of the 8vo edition as available for 60 fr, but notes that the folio edition, at 100 fr, was sold out (‘épuisé’).

Born in Turin, Callery (1810-62) joined the Société des Missions Étrangères de Paris in 1833. Two years later he was sent as a missionary to Korea, but finding entry impossible instead settled in Macao. In addition to his accomplishments as a sinologist, Callery was a talented botanist, and played a key role in Théodore de Lagrené’s trade mission to China in 1844 which resulted in the Treaty of Whampoa.

Provenance: ticket to front pastedown of Benjamin Duprat, bookseller, Paris.

For the 8vo issue see: Cordier III 1597 and Löwendahl, Sino- Western Relations II, 960; Lust 1009; Zenker ii, 6655.

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Callery, Joseph-Marie

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