A banned map! This very rare c. 1785 woodblock map of Korea prepared by Hayashi Shihei. This map was drawn to illustrate Shihei's Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (Illustrated General Survey of the Three Countries). It covers all of Korea as well as the adjacent i
A banned map! This very rare c. 1785 woodblock map of Korea prepared by Hayashi Shihei. This map was drawn to illustrate Shihei's Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (Illustrated General Survey of the Three Countries). It covers all of Korea as well as the adjacent i
Map size: 20 inches x 2 feet (60.96cm x 50.8cm) | Ready to frame in standard size frame (20x24) | Frame not included | Archival quality reproduction
A banned map! This very rare c. 1785 woodblock map of Korea prepared by Hayashi Shihei. This map was drawn to illustrate Shihei's Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu (Illustrated General Survey of the Three Countries). It covers all of Korea as well as the adjacent islands (including the disputed Dokdo). Shihei's work advocated for gathering intelligence about foreign lands for defense of Japan, but was banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate as part of its isolationist policy. Almost all of the original woodblock printed versions of Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu were collected and destroyed. Nonetheless, world of Shihei's work got out and manuscript copies of his maps began to circulate in, learned Japanese circles. Today, most known examples of Shihei's work are in, manuscript. The present offering is however a woodcut, possibly from the original printing, and as such an exceptional discovery. Cartographically it is more sophisticated and detailed than known manuscript examples.