Description:
Yamazaki Kinbe, Edo et Asana Yahei, Osaka, 5th year of the Tenmei period (1785).Large wood-engraved map of 165 x 91 cm (65 x 35,8 inches), entirely hand-colored at the time. Red ink stamp in the bottom. Folded and preserved in a modern blue cloth protection case. Very good condition.
First edition of this superb and rare map of the World published in Japan in 1785, showing the progress of the Japanese geographical and cartographical knowledge at the end of the 18th century.
Nagakubo Sekisui 長久保赤水 (1717-1801) is the most famous Japanese cartographer of the end of the 18th century.
This map presents a lot of information: at the top right, a cartouche encloses a text in classical Chinese by Katsuragawa Hoshu
(1751-1809), famous doctor at the Shogun court, knowing Dutch and passionate about sciences and European cartography.
At the top left, another cartouche presents 70 lines of text in Japanese written by the author of the map, with explanations as for the contribution of Dutch science to the… Read More
