Old chinese map and booklet

[ivomd]

Hello,

 

Very odd question... I inherited some old china books and maps from the 1800s

I have two here which are completely in chinese (without english pretext)

Can anyone help me with what they mean?

Thanks!

[889]

The covers are marked 皇朝直省地與全图, which the Library of Congress interprets as "Qing Empire's complete map of all provinces," though there's a slight difference in the title on your copy:

https://www.loc.gov/item/gm71005083/

That doesn't look at all like the city map you actually have; your map is legended, but we'd need a clearer photo to read it well.

Too, the LOC map -- as well as most other versions of this map it seems -- is dated Guangxu Bingshen [1894], while yours is dated Guangxu Gengchen [1880].

As you probably know, Chinese maps are often re-printed, so yours could easily be old in some sense, but not original.

 

This is the sort of thing that new Chinese History Forum could probably discuss.

 

(Add: I see you say you're showing two books: so the map doesn't actually go with the covers?)

[ivomd]

Thanks for your quick answer!

Family was in maritime insurance business in china in the late 1800s and they brought this back, first owner so I'm 100% sure they are not reprints.

Yes you need to view the map separately from the book, my fault. 

Picture 2 and 3 go together. This is a book with about 100 pages. Photo 3 is the first page. Then there are about 30-40 maps of china I assume in, always accompanied by chinese text. I will make some better pictures later today

Thanks

Ivo

[889]

Paper on these old maps tears easily. No reason to open them up. That just risks damaging them.

 

If these are real, they've got considerable value, and you should take them to an appropriate dealer if you're interested in selling them.

[889]

Here's your particular 1880 atlas (the atlas was produced in many editions over the years):

 

http://auction.artxun.com/paimai-407-2033663.shtml

 

This copy sold in Beijing for something over US$2500 in 2007.

[ivomd]

That's the exact one! Thanks!

Now the map...

Any idea on which city it is?

I attached some better pics.

Ivo

[roddy]

That's Beijing. I can see the street I used to buy pirate DVDs on...

[roddy]

I could spend all day looking at this. 菊儿胡同 was 局儿胡同,  by the looks of it (it's not 100% clear).

[889]

If real, this is a treasure.

 

This one sold for well over US$4,000 in 2009:

 

http://www.zgsd.net/channel2-p_141118.shtml (click small image to enlarge)

 

Again, as with the atlas, there seem to be different printings of this map.

 

(Condition makes a big difference in price, which is why I encourage you to just leave these alone, and let an expert deal with them.)

[ivomd]

Thanks again!

Map is definitely real but mine looks older and is indeed in worse shape. And will indeed contact an expert.

Good to know it has value too.

Ivo

[Publius]

Small correction to #2:

It's 輿 (simplified 舆) not 與 (simplified 与).

輿 means 'earth' -> 'territory'. There's a term 堪輿, known to the world by another name 風水 (feng shui).

[889]

Thank you!

 

(I just copied from the Library of Congress and moved the character around.)

[ivomd]

Hi,

1 final request for help. I just found a huge map of japan in the lot too. It probably is the size of a small car so very difficult to open and photograph. The outside is made of linnen and has some lettering on; please see last added picture. I'm not sure, is this chinese or japanese?

All the rest of the maps and books are chinese for sure.

Thanks for everything!

[889]

Yes, it's a map of Imperial Japan.

 

(Both Chinese and Japanese essentially use the same characters, but the style and the use of 大日本  "Great Japan" suggest this is Japanese in origin.)

[ivomd]

Another chinese map came up... it seems like some sort of map in silk?

I think it's chinese, can anyone confirm? Please see last 3 added pictures.

Thank you very much!

Ivo

[889]

Map of East Asia printed in Shanghai in Guangxu 6 (1880). Note your pictures are really bad, but it looks like a six.