Catalog Archive
Auction 193, Lot 35

Decorative and Detailed Japanese World Map

"[Meiji Shinsen Bankoku Seizu - New Meiji Edition - Map of the World]"

Subject: World

Period: 1886 (circa)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
33.3 x 22.6 inches
84.6 x 57.4 cm
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This stunning Japanese pocket map by Shichirouemon Goto is as informative as it is decorative (as long as you can read Japanese!). The map is teeming with place names, and there is good topographical detail throughout. There are two small double hemisphere maps within the larger map, one showing a polar projection, the other the Western and Eastern hemispheres. An inset below the title at top provides a closer view of Japan. Additional insets near the bottom compare the lengths of the world's rivers and the elevations of various mountains. Eleven small views decorate the bottom of the map, including the Ganges River, St. Petersburg, Rome, Washington, Paris, and London. More than 100 national flags flank the title. Folds into yellow paper-covered boards. Published by Nakamura Asakichi.

References:

Condition: A

A colorful example on a clean sheet with several small holes and wormholes only visible when held to light, several of which have been archivally repaired on verso. There is minor soiling, and the covers have some stains and light wear.

Estimate: $600 - $750

Sold for: $900

Closed on 6/21/2023

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