At the heart of this sale are two magnificent single-owner collections formed over many years by private collectors Bernard Hanotiau in Belgium, and Floyd Sully in Canada. The sale will be held at Sotheby’s London on 7 November 2016 during the annual Asian Art in London, and will be preceded by a public exhibition from 3-7 November. Browse the full sale catalogue here.

Bernard HanotiauThe Library of Belgian collector Bernard Hanotiau tells the story of over 500 years of Western travellers in China through works including the the first edition of Marco Polo’s travels in French from 1556 (lot 146), the first European Atlas of China from 1655 (lot 15), photographs by one of the first people to publish his photographs of the people and landscapes of China, John Thomson (lot 170), and photographs of Beijing taken in the 1870s by Thomas Child (lot 122).

In over 180 lots of rare books, atlases, and early photographs, the Hanotiau library reveals the rich history of exploration and cultural and political exchange between China and the West from the fifteenth to twentieth century. These works, created by merchants, missionaries, adventurers, and diplomats, contain a wealth of knowledge that informed the West’s understanding of China, its people, culture and geography. Many of these books have distinguished histories, having once been owned by notable figures, who include Tsar Nicholas I, Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (wife of Napoleon), Madame de Maintenon (wife of Louis XIV), Madame Victoire de France (daughter of Louis XV), and Charles Marie de La Condamine (the first French scientist to map the Amazon).

Noted for their superb condition and splendid bindings, many of these books describe fascinating accounts of adventurers and diplomats including Robert Fortune, one of the nineteenth century’s greatest plant hunters, sent by the Royal Horticultural Society to secretly collect plants and seeds of the tea-shrub in China in 1848 (lot 52); and Sir Henry Ellis, who was part of the embassy George III sent to China in 1816 that failed after a diplomatic failure when members of the British party refused to “kow-tow” at the presentation to the Emperor (lot 49).

Floyd SullyThe Canadian collector Floyd Sully has long been fascinated by depictions of China in maps and drawings. His collection, comprising over fifty lots of rare maps, photographs, illustrated texts, drawings and watercolours, is a rich collection of works, many of which were created in China. They provide a fascinating insight into China’s history, its changing borders and rulers, and help to illustrate the emergence of modern China.

Star lots include the hugely impressive “Blue Map”. Measuring over 1.3 by 2.5m, is the first of its kind to come to auction in many years. Created during the Qing dynasty, this painstakingly detailed portrayal of the Chinese world provides a wealth of information about the vastness of China’s territory and administrative changes. Est. £80,000-120,000 (lot 212). Another highlight is the magnificent and rare, richly hand-coloured Daoist illuminated manuscript, commissioned by a Chinese Empress in the mid sixteenth century. Comprising 132 pages it is one of a set of five scriptures that purport to record a revelation by the legendary Daoist Laozi to Zhang Daoling (2nd century), considered by many to be the founder of religious Daoism. Est. £20,000-30,000 (lot 226).