[Rarebooks] OFFER: JAPANESE HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT, CA. 1840.

[Laderman]

ORIGINAL JAPANESE MANUSCRIPT, UNDATED, BUT CIRCA 1840, WITH TWO 
DOUBLE-PAGE OUTLINE MAPS. The manuscript was probably written as a 
record of current events for himself, by the author. It is unsigned 
and undated. One map shows North America, South America, China, 
Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Australia, Africa, Europe & Great 
Britain. The other map is a close-up view of Asia with China, Korea, 
Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa).  The map of North America names 
Alaska as "New Russia", and much of what is now the Southwestern part 
of the United States is shown as part of Mexico. This indicates that 
the manuscript was written before 1847, which is 20 years before the 
purchase of Alaska and before the Mexican American War. The text 
includes a large section on the "current" Opium Wars (1839-42).  The 
author states that, in China, opium is "now more popular than 
tobacco" It also notes that Great Britain controls the trade from the 
port of Canton.  The danger of opium is stressed by the author in the 
words, "when smoked, opium can damage the blood, make you crazy, and 
lead to death."  A soft covered book, bound in the Japanese manner 
with folded sheets, sewn, it measures 6 3/4 X 9 1/2 inches (closed) 
and has 16 pages, including two double page manuscript maps.  It is 
written in a small, neat hand. Original  wrappers, contents Very 
Good.  An unusual Japanese book showing awareness of the outside 
world and actions of European powers in Asia written more than a 
decade before the Perry Expedition to Japan. $875.00

ZITA BOOKS / NEW YORK, N.Y. / G. LADERMAN
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telephone: 212-866-4715
email:zita at speakeasy.nethttp://www.antiqbook.com/zitabooks/

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