The Lacquer Screen by Robert van Gulik

VAN GULIK, Robert. The Lacquer Screen: A Chinese Detective Story. Kuala Lumpur, Art Printing Works, 1962.

First edition, very scarce, of this Judge Dee mystery, exquisitely illustrated by the author himself.

‘He saw the high lacquer screen standing against the wall opposite. Quickly he averted his gaze, but the screen seemed to move round together with his eyes…’.

The Lacquer Screen features the semi-fictional character Judge Dee, loosely inspired by the Tang magistrate and statesman Di Renjie (630-700). Van Gulik, encountering reluctance from his London publisher Michael Joseph to release more than one title a year, opted to privately publish The Lacquer Screen, as well as The Haunted Monastery and The Red Pavilion, through the Art Printing Works in Kuala Lumpur.

Robert van Gulik was a Dutch orientalist and diplomat.

Octavo, pp. 185 with 10 plates drawn by the author in Chinese style; very good; original card wrappers, front wrapper and spine red lettered in white, front wrapper illustrated by the author, rear wrapper white lettered in black, illustrated pastedowns and flyleaves (wrappers slightly rubbed and soiled, spine a little sunned).