DAI MIN KYUHEN BANKOKU JINSEKI ROTEI ZENZU: GREAT MAP OF CHINA AND IT'S SURROUND

Japan c.[1703]. Original gray rubbed silk covers, a Japanese reprint of the 1663 Chinese map, neatly rebacked,127 x 137.5 cm., a few old mended worm holes, minor flaws, hand colored, folds down to 21.5 x 34 cm. R A R E FIRST & ONLY EDITION Translation of the Chinese Title: continued: "WITH THE WHOLE PICTURE OF THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY AND ALL ROADS." . Chinese pinyin title is: DA MING JIU BIAN WAN GUO, REN JI LU CHEN QUAN TU. . *** A marvelous and grand size example. The work basically shows the whole country and its surrounding areas. Minor tears, most repaired, some old stains & repaired worming, actually quite nice. Remarkable in its detail and features. It shows the Great Wall at the top, or Northern orientation, geographic features include: rivers, lakes, cities and villages, mountains are painted in green. With a list of foreign countries at the left margin, showing the distance in "Ri" or miles. Important administrative areas in red outline, islands named, the sea around the whole country is done in a stylistic wave pattern set in the middle of an ocean border. Includes China's East coast, Shanghai &c. . *** At the East are islands of the "Women, Long People, Hairy People" &c. Essentially a grand world map, with China occupying the center, other countries shown on the exterior of the map. With a list & explanation on Chinese cities at the bottom, with commentaries on each of the provinces to the right. European countries are shown to the West, each properly named. The whole map is hand-colored with gouache or pastel water colors. There are four marginal stamped cinnabar collector's seals. . *** CONDITION: The map was re-backed professionally a about 100 years ago. There is some loss in a couple of the folds, please see the scans to observe this, else some minor old worming but restored from the verso. Now solid and stable. . There are some old stains on the edges & in the folds, this does not penetrate to the front, if it does the color of the map ameliorates this. By and large a nice work in good plus condition. . Finding maps of this enormous size and subject are difficult, it goes without saying, that we can not always fine pristine examples that have resided in Japan where insects love to eat this kind of hand-made Washi paper. Seldom found for sale anywhere these days. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: This exact map has been cited and illustrated in: T. Oda: THE WORLD IN JAPANESE MAPS UNTIL THE MID 19TH CENTURY, plate #23, on pages 50-51. The Oda example is mostly without color, while ours is nicely hand-colored. *** Suitable for framing and wall display. Maps of this period, subject & grand size are exceptionally S C A R C E. . *** Actual scans (incl. one from the book of Oda's descriptive [Japanese] text) are posted to our website.