[CHARMING COLLECTION OF NINE MAPS OF JAPANESE INTEREST].

[主都市及び条約港地図]. [Shuyō toshi oyobi jōyakukō chizu].<BR> [Maps of Major Cities and Treaty Ports].

[Japan]. (Circa 1870s - 1890s). Stock ID #221021

Collection of nine handcoloured copper engraving maps:
大日本全圖. [Greater Japan map]. 11.5 x 31cm
京都全圖. [Kyōto map]. 11.5 x 16cm
大阪全圖. [Ōsaka map].11.8 x 16cm
大阪市街之圖. [Ōsaka city map]. 18 x 21.3cm
箱館市街之圖. [Hakodate city map]. 18 x 21.5cm
長﨑市街之圖. [Nagasaki city map]. 18 x 22cm
兵庫神戸両港市街之圖. [Hyōgo Kōbe city map]. 18.1 x 21.6cm
新潟市街之圖. [Niigata city map]. 18 x 21.8cm
京都市街之圖. [Kyōto city map]. 17.3 x 21.5cm
Occasional light browning on margins of a few maps but all maps in very good condition.

This very attractive collection of nine hand-coloured copper engraved maps was most likely published during the early Meiji period, between the 1870s and early 1880s.

The first three maps, depicting Japan, Kyoto and Osaka, probably date from the early 1870s. On the Osaka map, the site of Osaka Castle is still identified simply as a castle, while the map of Japan uses Edo-period regional names, such as Tosa rather than Kochi Prefecture.

The remaining six maps appear to be slightly later, probably dating from the early 1880s. On one of these, Osaka Castle is identified as military headquarters, reflecting the military use of the site during the Meiji period. The map of Kobe also includes an inset railway timetable for services between Kyoto and Kobe. The railway linking the two cities opened in 1877, providing a further indication of the map’s date.

The maps are delicately drawn and contain minute details, including town names and the locations of numerous public and commercial facilities. Maps of the treaty ports of Hakodate, Niigata, Nagasaki and Kobe are particularly uncommon. The Hakodate map features attractive illustrations of a Western-style sailing ship and steamship, while the Kobe map shows the foreign concession and a cemetery for foreign residents.

When referring to this item please quote stockid 221021.

Price: $750.00 AU

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