Manuscript account of Travels in China and Tibet
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Beskrivning
CHINA-TIBET. MAUERER, KONRAD. Ald deutscher Kaufmann bis an Tibets Grenze. [A German Merchant to the Borders of Tibet]. Author's corrected copy typescript.
4:o. Hankow 1918 (dated on last leaf). (2), (1)-286 leaves with text in German, with extensive ink corrections, on recto.
Contemporary brown half leather, somewhat worn, upper board with title in gold, some dampstaining to boards. Some dampstaining to upper margins at inner joints.
Author's signed copy. Unpublished expedition.
A very interesting and informed German merchants account of his travels to the far Western regions of China and to Tibets frontier lands, observing the prevailing political, economic, religious, and cultural conditions.
An intelligent commentary also discusses trades, industry, finance, petroleum (Standard Oil), cigarette marketing (B. A. T.), cotton, opium, and the treaty port of Tientsin. In a context of contemporary First World War hostilities, Mauerer writes as a German trader personally caught up in an unexpected "propaganda" war.
British influence, in such a remote province, still reigned strong (cf. the British Consular official - a Mr. Radley): A local English language newspaper dissembles on the "German intrigue in Kansu... German agent try to uprise Mohamedans" (sic).
Mauerer's astute reading of the global picture ensures that he does not miss a move: late play in "The Great Game" for Central Asia. Power rivalry is evident by his discovery of the activities of Russian agents conspiring with local Islamic accomplices - the Chinese Turkomen.
Brief references are made to Sven Hedin, and to an earlier German-Tibet expedition. Mauerer pays considerable and detailed descriptive attention to the Monastery at KUMBUM (described by Rockhill as "one of the most important Lamasaries") with a vivid narrative on Tibetan culture: the chanting lamas: gilded artefacts: butter sculpture: and the famous gold roof that had survived not only Mongol invasions - but also later nineteenth Chinese Imperial expansion.
From the library of Swedish antiquarian bookdealer Björn Löwendahl (1941-2013).
Photo.
Auktionsnummer:
6513
Datum:
2015-06-16