Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614) - photo 1
Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614) - photo 2
Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614) - photo 3
Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614) - photo 4

Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614)

Lot 58
28.04.2021 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 15 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 519349
Lot 58 | Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614)
Estimate value
£ 15 000 – 25 000
Claude d'Abbeville (fl.1612-1614)
Histoire de la mission des peres capucins en l’isle de Maragnan et terres circonvoisines ou est traicte des singularitez admirables & des meurs merveilleuses des Indiens habitants de ce pais avec les missives et advis qui ont este enuoyez de nouveau.  Paris, François Huby, 1614.
Rare first written account of the 1612 French Capuchin mission to Maranhão, an island off the coast of Brazil. Yves d’Evreux, Arsène de Paris, Ambroise d’Amiens, and Claude d’Abbeville, accompanied Daniel de la Rivardière’s expedition to settle Maranhão. Relations between the French and the local Tupi indians were good, and the Capuchin mission initially successful. Arsène and d’Abbeville soon returned to France accompanying six important Tupi, portraits of whom, in European dress, can be found in this account. The Indian ambassadors caused a sensation in Paris, where curious crowds flocked to see them and ‘the Histoire de la mission seems to have been printed very quickly in order to take advantage of the presence in Paris of the six Indians from Maranhāo ... It appears that the first edition was soon out of print, and a second was printed. This was published with the misprints corrected, and a more extensive index was compiled and printed in 35 pp. in double cols’ (Borba de Moraes).

The present lot is the second edition printed in the same year as the first, but enlarged and revised. D’Abbeville relates the mission’s outward voyage, the arrival in Maranhão, the death of Father Ambroise, and the Capuchins’s activities on the island. He also adds detailed descriptions of the region, including the animals, birds and fish found there, as well as chapters on the customs, laws, wars and history of the Tupi indians. His account ends with the return voyage to France, their arrival and welcome in Paris, and the ensuing festivities. Unfortunately the Tupi succumbed to European diseases – the 60 year-old Carypira caught influenza and died, and two of his companions died soon after.

‘The narrative of the journey, and all the events, is the principal printed French source that exists about this tentative colonization of the north of Brazil. Although not endowed with the spontaneity and the literary talent of Yves d’Evreux, Claude d’Abbeville gives us valuable information concerning the religion and “astronomy” of the Tupis, not to be found in any other writings’ (Borba de Moraes).

Alden 614/25; Borba de Moraes p. 5-7; Duviols 29; Leclerc, Bibliotheca Americana 1570; Rodrigues 1; Sabin 4; Streit II 2376. The British Library copy is imperfect, lacking ff. 177–84.

Octavo (170 x 110 mm). Ff. [viii], 395, [17]. 7 engraved plates (title strengthened at fore-margin with some slight associated loss to engraved area, repair to one figure with some minor areas rendered in facsimile, this repair continuing in the margin of the following 5 leaves, tiny marginal tear at lower fore-margin of title just into engraved image, leaves E2, L1 and 2B8 with very small marginal chip to corner due to paper flaw, light worming starting in quire 2N and running to end of the volume, affecting a few words with quire 2S more heavily affected and into 6 plates; 2O2 with short tear and creasing due to production flaw just affecting side note and a few letters in main body of text, variable light spotting and staining, slightly heavier at beginning and end). Contemporary vellum, paper label on spine (vellum cockled, paper label slightly chipped affecting a few letters of ink manuscript, lacking ties); contained in a maroon slip-case (worn).
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