Carte de L’Empire du Japon. Kaart van het Keizerryk Japan.

Dutch edition of this finely engraved and influential map of the islands of Japan by Nicholas Bellin featuring a rococo title cartouche. 

This map was published during the Edo or ‘Tokugawa’ period, during which Edo (modern-day Tokyo) was the capital. From the early part of the seventeenth century until the mid-1800’s, the Japanese had in place a policy of ‘Sakoko’ limited foreign relations and trade with other nations. Foreigners were prevented from entering Japan and it was illegal for any Japanese to leave. Trade was restricted to certain ports with the Dutch East India Company and private Chinese traders being permitted to operate only in Nagasaki. Some geographical features like the Noto Peninsula and the Oki Islands are distorted in this map and several mapmakers later included the same erroneous details in their maps.