MARCO POLO. Lot n° 106

The geographical description of the most famous Provinces and cities of East India. Paris, Etienne Grouleau, 1556. In-4 of (10), 123, (1) ff., contemporary ivory vellum binding, jagged edges. First edition in French, rare, shared between Etienne Grouleau, Jean Longis and Vincent Sertenas. Marked by Etienne Grouleau on the title and on the back of the last page, entablature and numerous beautiful initials with floral decoration in Renaissance style. A member of a wealthy Venetian family of merchants, Marco Polo set off with his father and uncle on a journey to the East in 1271, from Acre to Persia, the Pamir plateau, Mongolia and the Gobi desert, to the far south-east of China, arriving in Shantou in 1275. Travellers stayed at the court of Kublai Khan in Cambaluc (Peking) until 1292, then returned to Venice after crossing Southeast Asia, Ceylon and southern India. During his stay in China, Marco Polo took an active part in the administration of the country and travelled extensively in the service of the great Kahn. He visited much of China, Tibet and other areas under Mongolian rule. On his return in 1295, he was the first to give a relatively accurate description of China and the Far East. Imprisoned by the Genoese, he described his travels to the Rustician of Pisa, who recorded them in French, a version which Marco Polo himself revisited some time later. The precision of his geographical knowledge enabled cartographers to represent for the first time the correct location of countries on the portolans of the 14th century. The work was first published in German in 1477 and numerous Latin, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish editions followed. The French translation was apparently made from the Latin text of Grynaeus' 1532 edition. It is the work of François Gruget, King's Counsellor and Referendary at the Chancellery of France. Superb copy in ivory vellum of the time. Handwritten ex-libris in H.F.V.G. ink dated 165