Tirion’s China

By TIRION, Isaac, 1740 

Nuova Carta dell’ Imperio Della China e dei Paesi circonvicini; Nieuwe Kaart van t Keizerryk China en de aangresende Landen

Asia China
  • Author: TIRION, Isaac
  • Publication place: Amsterdam
  • Publisher: Isaac Tirion
  • Publication date: c1740
  • Physical description: Engraved map.
  • Dimensions: 372 by 485mm. (14.75 by 19 inches).
  • Inventory reference: 15843

Notes

A map of East Asia including China, Japan, and Korea, an Italian edition of the Nieuwe Hand-Atlas’ by Tirion.

The map depicts the region from Tibet and India to Japan and from Siberia and the Kamchatka Peninsula to Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Based on a map originally created by Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726), the geographical features and places are marked in two languages French and Dutch, while the title is written in Italian and Dutch.

A few curious annotations can be discerned at various locations. A note near Potala palace explains it is the former residence of Dalai Lama. The courses of the rivers, mountain ranges, nomad camps, and the Gobi desert are appended with short comments.

The Great Wall of China is pictorially represented above PEKING’ (Beijing). Major Provinces of China are indicated in capital letters, for example, along the east coastline below PEKING’ are XANTUM’ (Shandong), NANKIN’ (Nanjing), CHEKIAM’ (Zhejiang), FOKIEN’ (Fujian) and QUANTUM’ (Guangdong). It is worth noting that FORMOSA I’, contemporary Taiwan, is shown to the right of FOKIEN’, and Macao’ (Macau) is indicated below Canton’ the capital of QUANTUM’ (Guangdong), just above the the fleur-de-lis. 
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