Map of the Chinese Empire, other Asian states and parts of Europe

Overall size approximately 873 x 1115mm. (each sheet approximately 873 x 280mm.), large map on 4 sheets, on paper

All Under Heaven 6

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This map, originally produced as a woodblock map in the early to mid-nineteenth century, is primarily concerned with China's political geography, whilst also depicting major waterways, mountain ranges, and the Great Wall. "The map's creator has monochromatically articulated China's major administrative divisions. Their boundaries reveal relatively little concern for real terrain but keen interest in the divisions' arrangement relative to each other. Prominent in the label of each province is a decoratively composed notation of the province's distance from Beijing. This map's indication of the primacy of the capital is consistent with the work's other major theme, China's outsized importance in the world. This work's treatment of distant lands is typical, haphazardly placing other Asian states and European countries amid mythical territories... Although eighteenth century Chinese could plausibly argue for their country's pre-eminence on the basis of its unsurpassed population, great wealth and impressive military clout, by the middle of the nineteenth century, China's inability to ward off the unwelcome advances of Western traders and its disastrous defeat in the First Opium War had rendered the worldview this map espouses a form of political and cultural nostalgia" (All Under Heaven).