Ink, color, and gold on paperexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.76
During the Edo period, the shogunate, the hereditary military dictatorship of Japan (1192–1867), controlled the flow of trade and information from abroad, but. Still, the Japanese were fascinated by the world beyond. Books from China—some of which were adapted in Japan— provided a glimpse into the real and legendary locations realms across the ocean.
The lands described in this handscroll are based on a mix of encyclopedias, most notably the Classic of Mountains and Seas (in Chinese,. Shanhai jing; in Japanese,p. Sengaikyōō), an early Chinese geographical text that featured real and legendary locations, as well as Wakan sansai zue by Terashima Ryōan, a Japanese physician. The latter, was an adaptation of the Chinese Sancai tuhui, and covers a variety of subjects from astronomy to government to fishing to countries.
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