Ichnographia urbis Jedo, quae japonici imperij metropolis & summi japonum monarchae sedes est ex mappa japonica musei Sloani

Very rare and important historical plan of Tokjo, published in 1727 as part of The History of Japan, by Kaempfer - Sheuchzer.

Engelbert Kaempfer (1651–1716) traveled to Russia, Persia, India, South-East Asia, and Japan between 1683 and 1693. His writings were the chief source for European knowledge about Japan: Amœnitatum exoticarum politicophysicomedicarum fasciculi V, published in 1712, is especially important for medical observations and the first extensive description of Japanese plants – and his History of Japan became the chief source of Western knowledge about the country throughout the 18th century.

At Kaempfer’s death, the unpublished manuscripts were purchased by Sir Hans Sloane, and conveyed to England, among them the manuscript for a history of Japan under the title „Heutiges Japan“. Sloan had the manuscript translatied into English by Johann Caspar Scheuchzer (1702–1729) and published at London, in 2 vols., in 1727. A Dutch translation was published in 1729, a French in 1729 (2 volumes) and 1732 (3 volumes). A German version – translated from the English text, was published in 1777.

The Scheurchzer-Kaempfer book not only was far more voluminous than any of its predecessor, it also was far more successful. Indeed,i view of its systematic thoroughness and the manyy original sources it used and presented - including maps and other visuals colletcted by Kaempfer in Japan - it deservedly became the lodestar od Europe's views of and opinions on Japan for the next century.

Copper etching, slightly browned, usual paper folds, otherwise in very good condition.