Carte du Tunquin

Carte du Tunquin

Uncommon Jesuit maps of the river system centered on Hanoi and the Gulf of Tonkin. These maps were first published in 1810 in Lyon, France, in the "Lettres Édifiantes et Curieuses" (with "Tom. 16" in the margin) and reprinted in an 1819 edition (our copies, with "Tome 9"). Little is known about the author of these maps, apart from the name of their engraver (Porlier for our edition). However, we do know that the "Lettres Édifiantes" were published by French Jesuits to showcase the evangelization efforts of the Society of Jesus around the world. A text accompanying the maps also indicates that they were copies of Chinese maps of the region, made by order of the Qing dynasty's Kangxi Emperor (1654 - 1722). Interestingly, Kangxi was the emperor who invited several Jesuit missionaries to China to gain access to Western knowledge. One of these Jesuits was Ferdinand Verbiest, who completely rebuilt the imperial astronomical observatory in 1673. The Jesuits also brought back to Europe new technologies and local knowledge, such as those that contributed to the creation of the maps we are offering. Full titles and dimensions: Carte du Tunquin (30 x 13 cm) and 2me carte du Tunquin (29 x 43 cm).

Sin Encuadernar - No binding

Good (bueno)