This large beautifully hand coloured original antique map of Japan was engraved in 1750 - dated - and published by Robert Du Vaugondy in his 1757 edition of Atlas Universal, Paris.
 
The first attempts to show Japan on European maps were not made until the mid fifteenth century (Fra Mauro, 1459) and even in 1540 Munsters map of the New World still shows "Zipangu" and the 7,448 Spice Islands of Marco Polo. The first influence on western cartography in expanding the topographical knowledge of China and Japan came from Jesuit missionaries which in the case of Japan was Ludovico Teixeira in 1592.
From 1640 Japan closed its borders, except for the port of Nagasaki, to the "barbarians" from the west giving little opportunity to expand western updates of the Japanese Islands. Maps by the French Jesuit, Pere Briet (1650), Schenk & Valck (c. 1700) and Robert de Vaugondy (1750) all showed a better outline than their predecessors. A fine foundation map of modern Japan.
The map is has a good sharp impression with original hand colouring in outline, on strong sturdy clean paper and extremely detailed, a wonderful map. (Ref: Tooley; M&B)

General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - White
Age of map color: - Early
Colors used: - Pink, green, blue, yellow
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper Size: - 24in x 20 1/2in (610mm x 520mm)
Plate size: - 22in x 19 1/2in (560mm x 495mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - Light soiling
Plate area: - Light age toning
Verso: - Light soiling

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