SADO IKKOKU SAN SUI GA: BIRD'S EYE PANORAMIC MAP OF THE MOUNTAINS AND WATERS OF

Tokyo 1830, Egawa Sentaro [carver]. Single sheet woodblock- printed map, 48 x 33.5 cm., very good, two cinnabar collect- or's seals Kurita Genji + another ulnread, surface a bit old dusty, seven small old mended worm holes, else a solid copy. This is a lovely, charming and complete "birds's eye view" perspective of Sado Island. This is the only map published during the Edo period of Sado Island, located off the coast of Echigo province. Sado island was known for both its large gold reserves and prison-labor gold mines and as an island for criminals & political exiles from the mainland. * A fascinating experiment with sociology, Sado Island was the traditional place for banishment of political opponents as well as convicted criminals during the Tokugawa period. These banished people were sent to live on Sado in a "free" society, however, return was never possible. All persons sent there were given a small pittance of money and were then banished for life. Both men, women and children were sent to Sado, where an alternative society continued. Many of these unfortunates worked as slave-like labor in the harsh and brutal gold mines. * This excellent map, was drawn in a bird's-eye view type of unique Japanese perspective and shows the whole island in much and fine detail. Citing the names of all mountains, towns, villages, bays, harbors, urban and suburban areas named. A large number of fishing and other vessels are at anchor in the various small harbors & bays. At the center and is the highest mountain peak called "Kinbei Zan" or "Northern Gold Mountain," the cite of the Sado gold mines. * Per the N.Y.P.L. item cited below, "A major gold mine of this period was located on Sado, an island in the Japan Sea, which formerly served as a prison. By the Shogun's order, Okubo Choan, the powerful governor of Sado, undertook the digging of a large complex of gold and silver mines. A labor force of ex-prisoners dug three hundred shafts in order to create an underground labyrinth almost one mile long. SADO KINZAN NO ZU, two painted scrolls done in the mid-19th century, depicts the different types of work that took place in the Sado mines...Under the Tokugawa government the Sado mines flourished. During the 17th century the mines supported a population of over 100,000 workers and camp followers and plentifully enriched the coffers of the Shogun." * Nicely woodblock printed on a large single-sheet of handmade mulberry paper, suitable for framing and library display. The work is exceptionally R A R E and seldom found on the market. Very few wood cut prints were ever printed on such a single large sheet of paper, and this means that this print was a Deluxe printing and the paper very special. Commonly larger maps were printed on several sheets of paper joined together. Nicely executed. * CONDITION: The map is basically clean and nice but it does have faint pair of stains at the upper left corner and middle center both near or in the margin as well as a bit of the print, this is minor and not greatly obvious, nevertheless overall a nice and obscure work. The whole map was rebacked ages ago and does have a few old worm holes which have been stabilized and are now solid. A collector's cinnabar seal graces the right lower margin, and also one small seal inside the left lower corner. There are two other such seals [Hanko] or chops in the upper left corner, placed by the artist which reads Gago. * SPECIAL NOTE: If you are interested in other mining items from the 19th century, please inquire as we may have other manuscripts on the technology of smelting, mining and related subjects. * BIBLIOGRAPHY: This map is also very similar to the one listed by G. Beans: A LIST OF JAPANESE MAPS OF THE TOKUGAWA ERA, Supplement B, p.34 [1830.9], and is dated Tempo 1st year. * K. Yamashita: JAPANESE MAPS OF THE EDO PERIOD, this map is cited and illustrates the later 1873 Meiji edition on pp.68-69. * New York Public Library: JAPANESE TECHNOLOGY YESTERDAY & TODAY, An Exhibition in the Astor Hall of the N.Y.P.L. April 19 to July 17, 1979, pp.12-16. * . .