1887 Rare Legendary medieval Travel - The Voiage of Syr John Maundeville, Knight

Author: Sir John Mandeville. Edited by John Ashton.
Title: The Voiage and Travayle of Syr John Maundeville, Knight.
Publisher: London, Pickering & Chatto, 1887. First thus.
Language: Text in English.
Size: 9" x 6".
Pages: xxiv, 289 pages.
Binding: Very good original publisher’s cloth binding, with gilt lettering to spine and a decorative gilt vignette to upper board (hinges fine, overall slightly scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Overall, well-preserved and attractive.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, a few pages in the “Journall of Frier Odoricus” section with light creasing to outer margins, as shown). A very pleasing copy.
Illustrations: Illustrated throughout with numerous facsimile woodcuts and decorative ornaments, faithfully reproducing early editions.

Estimate: (USD $200–250).

The book: A handsome Victorian edition of the legendary medieval travel narrative attributed to Sir John Mandeville, recounting fantastical journeys to the Holy Land and the distant East. This 1887 edition, edited by John Ashton, presents the text in facsimile style, preserving the charm and eccentricity of early printed versions. Richly adorned with woodcut illustrations depicting mythical creatures, exotic lands, and curious customs, the work stands at the crossroads of travel literature, medieval imagination, and early ethnography. A visually appealing and intellectually intriguing volume, emblematic of Victorian fascination with medieval sources.

The author: Sir John Mandeville is a semi-legendary figure, traditionally credited with one of the most famous travel books of the Middle Ages. Though the true authorship remains uncertain, the work enjoyed immense popularity from the 14th century onward, shaping European perceptions of the wider world for centuries.