SHINTEI CHIKYUU BANKOKU HOOZU: NEW MAP OF THE WORLD. by NAKAJIMA, Jo

Edo 1852, Toryoh. Stiff buff covers, opens to large wall map size 135 x 82.5 cm., folds to 17 x 27 cm., covers rubbed, contents very clean, old worming mended on verso, stable, excellent color, registry, impression. FIRST EDITION *** *** *** . . A GRAND WORLD MAP . . . WITH FOUR GLOBES/HEMISPHERES . . . COLOR WOODBLOCK PRINTED . . . DELUXE SUPER LARGE SIZE WALL MAP . . * This grand-sized wall map is beautifully illustrated in full color. Hand woodblock printed on thick Washi hand-made paper, shows the world with four color insets of color globes. . *** Africa at the far left, the Americas to the right, Asia in the center area. Each country differently colored, profusion of place names in Kanji or Katakana. Equatorial line, with longitude and latitude, no Tropic of Cancer or Capricorn cited. The inset globes show the four hemispheres. . *** This map was issued contemporary with the arrival of Commodore Perry, it reflected the known world to the Japanese at that time, most likely based on other maps given them by the Dutch in Deshima [Nagasaki]. . A large color wall map, handsome and ready for framing and display. Japanese cartography lagged about a hundred years behind European cartographer's renditions of world maps. . *** The Japanese learned Western cartographic knowledge via the Dutch who were restricted to live on Deshima Island in Nagasaki harbor. The Japanese world view was severely limited, their perspective was based on what the Dutch traders brought and shared with them in terms of atlases, globes and maps. This example is considered an "early world map" in Japanese terms. It was in Dutch interest to keep the Japanese aware of as little of the "modern & new worlds" as possible. Well executed, nicely drawn and colored. . *** Title slip on front cover, symbol key, color woodblock printed on extra thick handmade Washi paper for durability. . *** CONDITION: The map is in the original publisher's stiff wrappers with paper covering, as issued. There is a blind-stamped swastica on one cover. . There are some of the typical old mended worming, done in the distant past on the verso using contemporary Washi paper, the work is now firm and solid. . Color, registry and impression are excellent. The folds have been reinforced in the distant past where needed, by and large an excellent example of a period RARE woodblock printed map. . *** BIBLIOGRAPHY: . BEANS, George H. A LIST OF JAPANESE MAPS OF THE TOKUGAWA ERA: p.40, 1852.2. * T. Oda: THE WORLD IN JAPANESE MAPS UNTIL THE MID-19TH CENTURY, pp. 214-215, illustrates this exact map with a full page color example. . *** .