Central Asia.- Stein (Sir Marc Aurel) Innermost Asia: Detailed Report of Explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern Iran, 4 vol. including box of maps, first edition, 138 plates, 13 colour, 2 double-page, one with printed glacine overlay, 59 plans, 505 photographic illustrations on numerous sheets, one folding, original pictorial russet cloth, gilt, uncut, dust-jackets, a little torn and frayed, mostly at edges, spine panels browned and lacking portions at head and foot, with 52 folding colour maps loose in original cloth box, slightly spotted, Filippo de Filippi's set with his small book-label to upper corner of front pastedowns, [Yakushi S720], large 4to, Oxford, 1928.

⁂ The detailed scientific report on Aurel Stein's third great Central Asian Expedition in which he covered nearly 11,000 miles in thirty-two months between 1913 and 1916, and pursued geographical as well as archaeological research. From Kashmir Stein followed the pilgrim route to Kashgar, crossed the Taklamakan desert to Khotan, and explored the Lop desert discovering the ancient site of Lou-lan. He revisited the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas", pushed down the Etsin-gol and investigated Khara-khoto, the site first discovered by Colonel Kozlov. From there he continued to Turfan, where the expedition secured "a considerable collection of interesting mural paintings from ruined Buddhist shrines". When arrangements had been made to transport the 182 cases of antiquities collected to Kashmir, Stein crossed the Pamirs and the valleys of the Upper Oxus passing Bokhara and Samarkand on his way to Sistan.

Filippo de Filippi (1869-1938) was an Italian doctor, mountaineer and explorer. He wrote several books particularly The Italian Expedition to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Eastern Turkestan (1913-1914), a report of the scientific expedition which he led and which was published in 1932 in seventeen volumes. He was a close friend of Aurel Stein.