China, in a Series of Views, Displaying The Scenery, Architecture, and Social Habits of that Ancient Empire

First edition of this 19th-century illustrated travelogue aimed at presenting Qing-era China to a Western audience. Quarto, two volumes, elaborately bound in full morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, triple gilt ruling and elaborate central gilt vignette with botanical scrolling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, title vignettes, marbled endpapers. Illustrated with 127 steel engraved plates from drawings by Thomas Allom. Historical and descriptive notes by George Newenham Wright. In very good condition with splitting to the front hinge and archival repairs to the first four pages of volume one and lacking first plate.