EXPLORE THE WORLD OF ANTIQUE MAPS

This is a fine example of John Speed's famous map of China and Japan, published in 1676. Korea still is depicted as an island and the outline of Japan is derived from the Portuguese surveys of Luis Texeira. The map is annotated with such information as the origin of rhubarb, and fire-resistant grass. The illustrations on the map include the city of Quinzay, with its canals, as described by Marco Polo. Speed also illustrates strange wheeled windmachines, which were used on the windy western plains of China.