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[Osaka 1857, Suharaya]. Grey stiff paper covers, very worn, but contents intact,large size 24 x 37 cm.,accordion folded, [14] double-folded leaves, consists of 13 color woodblock printed maps, map 2 has ca. 20 x 10 cm missing @ top center. The other maps are fairly clean, minor center folds mended covers lacking cover papers, solid, else complete. * THE AUTHOR: Ninomiya Seiken was the compiler and also wrote the preface. It is interesting that Ninomiya did a private publishing of this book which was by and largely copied from NAGAKUBO Sekisui's work on the same subject. Actual production of the maps are: Maps 1 -3 drawn by NAGAKUBO Sekisui's original title: MOROKOSHI REKIDAI SHU GUN ENKAKU CHIZU. Maps 4 -6, NINOMIYA Seiken imitated NAGAKUBO's MOROKOSHI REKIDAI SHU GUN ENKAKU CHIZU. *** SUBJECTS OF THE MAPS: As an historical atlas, this work shows each of the dynasties beginning with the Great Ch'in, Western Ch'in, Eastern Han, Three Kingdoms, Northern & Southern Dynasties, T'ang, Ming, with a final map of Western Pacific region, it shows the West coast of North America with "Night Country" island at the top, all of Japan, Hokkaido all of Okinawa, down to the Malacca straits, Cambodia, Annam [Vietnam], Hainan Island, Guandong, Korea, Siberian and Tartary, with parts of the Great Wall, Peking and what a unified Ming Dynasty China looked like. Also other maps of the Yuan Mongol, Later Chou, Warring States, Thirty-six Provinces of Ch'in &c. This is essentially a Japanese impression of a Chinese map. * Each map shows the degrees for both latitude and longitude, as well as a Japanese compass, key to symbols. The ocean is skillfully colored in a pastel blue for the depths, fading and lighter blue effect near the coast lines. Each province, or country is a different color & properly named, with copious notes on the various islands, and inland waterways, mountains, cities, and the Gobi desert noted. Mongolia, Manchuria, Tartary is at the top, with a very large ocean above named 'Mizuumi' or Lake but this joins the Pacific ocean, leaving one the impression that this is part of the Pacific. Other period maps get more complicated as time passes into modern ages. * The earlier maps show fewer names, but still have considerable detail, with a several waterways from Japan to various destinations in China in red. Internal or land roads within China are also in red. As more political control over wider areas and the unification of China expanded, the provinces shifted, changed in size. What makes this set of maps fascinating, is they are all from a similar key block, with subtle variations in the coast line & of course the ever changing administrative areas. * An-nan [old Viet-nam or the 'Pacified South'] is always shown, as are all of the 'outer' areas or tributary areas that paid respect to the Chinese Emperors, thus the need to show these lands. Many of the maps clearly show the central or unified China area in a single color, with the outer areas of tributary lands & tributary kingdoms shown in separate and different colors. By the Han period [221 B.C.], the Chinese clearly knew themselves to be people of "Han" in contrast to other outlying ethnological people. * Very rare and unusual item and fascinating resource. * WOODBLOCK COLOR PRINTED: Entirely color printed by woodblocks on hand-made Washi paper. **** BIBLIOGRAPHY: George H. Beans: A LIST OF JAPANESE MAPS OF THE TOKUGAWA ERA, Supplement C, p.20 as entry: 1855. In fact this map was published in Ansei 4 [1857] and the colophon shows that date, but Beans entered this by the introduction date of Ansei 2nd year. Four entries later in the same volume on p.21 Beans lists [1877.2] MAP OF CHINA UNDER THE TS'ING [Qing] DYNASTY, which looks much more like this item, thus the confusing dates. This work was authored by Mito Sekisui per the colophon, so we think Beans has two errors. *.
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