Thunberg, Caroli Petri; Flora Japonica Sistems Plantas Insularum Iaponicacarum Secundum Systema Sexuale Emendatum Redactas ad XX Clases, Ordines, Genera et Species CVM Differentiis Specificis, Concinnis et XXXIX Iconibus Adiectis. Lipsiae, Mulleriano, 1784. Octavo, pp. lii, 418, 1 page "index plantarum" and errata, 39 folded copper engraved plates.
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The volume is complete with the last index page and errata and all plates present. The volume is in a modern full calf binding with gilt ruled covers and cover vignette, gilt cover edging, six gilt spine panels with gilt on blue titles. The binding is tight and exceptionally clean. Text has been lightly trimmed at some point (12 x 20.5 cm), light toning to text and plates, perforated stamp on edge of title page and old book plate tipped in. A very good copy of the first work on the flora of Japan.
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After a series of diplomatic incidents, in Japan instituted a "closed door" policy which effectively isolated the country. However, some wealthy Japanese officials and merchants remained interested in western science and technical knowledge and were able to leave the "door open" a bit for Dutch merchants and scientists. Thunberg (1743-1828), a Swedish naturalist who had taught himself Japanese and learned the customs of the country used this opening to enter Japan on a Dutch merchant vessel and spent several years collecting and studying the flora of Japan. He returned to Sweden in 1779 with what was then the most comprehensive collection of Japanese flora ever seen. The detailed and systematically detailed description of the flora is provided in his rare work "Flora Japonica". Within the work he describes at least 21 new genera and several hundred new species of flora. His classification is based on the Linnean System which was a system that Thunberg was a strong proponent of. The work earned Thunberg the title "The Linne of Japan".