Wörterbuch der japanischen sprache.Vienna, P.P. Mechitharisten for Carl Gerold & Sohn, 1851. Large 4to (342 x 266 mm). Original yellow printed wrappers.

xii, 80 ll [of which 80 pp. containing 1034 Japanese characters printed in two columns].Rare original edition of one of the first - if not the first - attempt of a Japanese-German/English dictionary, with beautiful imprint of ‘Japanese’ characters, executed by the well-known printing office of the Armenian Mechitarist Order noted for their expertise in oriental printing, depicting various Kanji (Chinese script) together with the Kata-kana (sound, pronunciation) characters. On the facing pages (1-80) are printed the German (extensive) and English (shorter) translations, definitions and explications, together with the Japanese transliterated version and synonyms. Only this first part of this dictionary was published (ending with Ittan and Ittai of the ‘I-ro-ha’alphabeth) due to limited commercial success.Yellow wrappers are slightly dust-soiled and the spine and edges are slightly damaged/frayed, sewn as issued, uncut, the outer edges of the margins are very slightly browned. This rare dictionary is overall in good condition.l Alt-Japan-Katalog, 1142; Pagès, Bibl. Japonaise, 597; Van Wenckstern, I, 78; Zaunmüller, 212; Zenker, II, 6880; cf. NDB, 20, pp. 345-346; (O. Landstätter & S. Linhout eds.), August Pfizmaier und seine Bedeutung für die Ostasienwissenschaften (Vienna, 1990; Österr. Akad. d. Wissensch., philos.-hist. Klasse. Sitzungsberichte, 562; Beitr. z. Kultur- u. Geistesgesch., 3).