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1874 Sudo Manuscript Map of Fuzhou Harbor, Fujian, China
FuzhouHarbor-sudo-1874
Title
福刕港口南台廹圖 / Fuzhou Port South Station.
1874 (dated) 21.5 x 25.5 in (54.61 x 64.77 cm) 1 : 56000
1874 (dated) 21.5 x 25.5 in (54.61 x 64.77 cm) 1 : 56000
Description
Part of Sudo Collection. Not sold Separately: Click here for full collection.
A striking 1874 manuscript map of Fuzhou harbor (福州市), China. The map focuses on the entrance to the Minjiang River, with Langquidao Island featured prominently. It extends inland as far as the old city of Fuzhou, which appears on the northern shore of the Minjuang at the far western extreme of the map breaking the border. Cartographically, the map is probably based on British nautical charts. When Sudo drew this map, Fuzhou was the capital of Qing Fujian province, which included both Taiwan and the Ryukyu Kingdom, both of which played prominent roles in the 1871 Mudan Incident and the 1874 retaliatory Taiwan Punitive Expedition. Sudo was attempting to travel to Shanghai in mainland China from Japan via Tamsui, Taiwan. As such, Fuzhou would have been his first stop.
A striking 1874 manuscript map of Fuzhou harbor (福州市), China. The map focuses on the entrance to the Minjiang River, with Langquidao Island featured prominently. It extends inland as far as the old city of Fuzhou, which appears on the northern shore of the Minjuang at the far western extreme of the map breaking the border. Cartographically, the map is probably based on British nautical charts. When Sudo drew this map, Fuzhou was the capital of Qing Fujian province, which included both Taiwan and the Ryukyu Kingdom, both of which played prominent roles in the 1871 Mudan Incident and the 1874 retaliatory Taiwan Punitive Expedition. Sudo was attempting to travel to Shanghai in mainland China from Japan via Tamsui, Taiwan. As such, Fuzhou would have been his first stop.
Cartographer
Sudo Katsuzō (湏藤 / 湏藤勝三; c. 1848 - c. 1874) was a Japanese cartographer of Tochigi Prefecture (栃木県 / Tochigi-ken), Japan. Sudo was part of an 1874 mission to Taiwan and subsequently to the mainland of China. As part of this expedition, he produced a series of maps detailing Taiwan and some major cities in Fujian, including Fuzhou and Xiamen. The quality and execution of the maps suggest that he was experienced in both western and Japanese cartographic styles, indicating that he may have had training as a military engineer. Sudo apparently died of an unknown illness shortly after the maps were made, at just 26, so it is not surprising that little is recorded regarding his history. His maps were subsequently collected by his brother and remained in the family until recently. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Very good. On thin Japanese paper. Manuscript.