Searle, Townley

Strange Newes from China: A First Chinese Cookery Book [Strange News from China]; With 101 Rare and Choice Chinese Recipes and Decorations by the Author

New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., n. d. Hardcover. Octavo size, 231 pp. Near fine / good. Item #19032207

This cookbook of Chinese dishes, in addition to its recipes, contains anecdotes and humorous writings on the formation of the book and interesting tidbits about Chinese culture from the knowledge of the author; Townley Searle has also illustrated the book throughout, with simple line drawings and caricatures.

The book has its lovely dust jacket, made of gold-coloured paper and covered in blue, red, and black illustrations in a style matching those in the book.

___DESCRIPTION: Full blue cloth, gilt lettering on the front board and spine, endpapers in five colours with a pattern of Chinese lanterns, title page with ruled borders and line drawing in black by Townley Searle, black line drawings by Searle throughout; octavo size (8.5" by 5.5"), pagination: [1-6] 7-231. In a gold-coloured paper dust jacket with colour illustration and title inside a red rectangle on the front panel, black lettering and blue and red illustrations on the spine, and red illustration and black lettering on the rear panel; the dust jacket is unclipped but has no price. As of this writing, there are no other online listings with the dust jacket.

___CONDITION: Volume is near fine, with clean boards, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some sunning to the spine and top edges of the boards, bottom corners are very gently bumped, light toning to the fore-edges of the interior pages and to the verso of the free endpapers. The dust jacket is good only; while clean with bright colours and with all parts present and attached, it shows fairly significant overall edgewear, some loss along the top edge and tail of the spine, a three-inch closed tear along the edge of the spine and another on the front panel, and light soiling to the verso.

___POSTAGE:  International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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Price: $150.00