Silver engravers typically copied designs from published sources, including the books shown here. After the Ming Dynasty fell in 1644, Dutch officials went to China to arrange exclusive trading rights. While the negotiations failed, illustrators who were brought along to record the sights of the country published books that in turn played a key role in the development of Chinoiserie in Europe. London publisher John Ogilby produced the first English translations in 1668.Lent by Special Collections, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin—Madison

Johannus Nieuhoff
(Dutch, 1618–72)
An Embassy Sent by the East-India
Company of the United Provinces to the Grand Tartar Cham or Emperour of China — Delivered at Pekin by Peter de Goyer
and Jacob de Kayzer
Published by John Ogilby, London, England
Second Edition, 1673 (First edition 1668)

Arnoldus Montanus
(Dutch, ca. 1625–1683)
The Second & Third Embassie to ye Empire of Taysing or China… Atlas Chinensis, being a second part of a Relation of the Remarkable passages Collected out of
their Several Writings and Journals by Arnoldus Montanus
Published by John Ogilby, London, England
First Edition, 1672