The Selden Map Rediscovered: A Chinese Map of East Asian Shipping Routes, c.1619

2013/01/01 by Robert Batchelor · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Global Maritime and Colonial Histories #Japanese History and Culture #Chinese history and philosophy

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/03085694.2013.731203

openalex publication_date 2013/01/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

The rediscovery of the Selden Map of China (MS Selden Supra 105) in the Bodleian Library in 2008 provides an opportunity to reassess the history of Chinese cartography and debates about maritime dimensions of the Ming Empire. The map depicts a network of Chinese shipping routes, reaching from Japan to Aceh, Sumatra, and suggests previously unknown map-making techniques. In this article I draw attention to the map's unique components, notably its portrayal of shipping routes and vegetation, consider its sources, and suggest a possible patron and location of composition.

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• Cartography [wikipedia]

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