Les Éditions du Pacifique
29, rue des trois bornes,
75011 Paris, France
+(33) 1 42 22 48 63
bonjour@leseditionsdupacifique.com
42.00€
Book in English only
For the first time ever, all 477 drawings of the flora and fauna of the Malay Peninsula—commissioned by William Farquhar when he was the British Resident and Commandant of Melaka from 1803 to 1818—are published in a single volume.
Covering a wide spectrum of species—including plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, and fish—these evocative paintings were rendered in brilliant watercolors by Chinese artists who combined both Chinese and Western painting techniques. The drawings offer a unique window into both the natural history of the time and the 19th-century British settlement in the Malay Peninsula.
Authoritative essays by John Bastin and Kwa Chong Guan provide insight on the the background of the drawings and of Farquhar himself, while detailed captions by wildlife specialists Hassan Ibrahim and Morten Strange describe each species depicted.
John Bastin is the leading authority on Stamford Raffles, and currently Emeritus Reader in the modern history of Southeast Asia at the University of London. He has written and edited numerous books and articles on the history of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
