Lot 259

KAEMPFER'S FIRST MAP OF EDO PUBLISHED IN EUROPE 1727

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KAEMPFER'S FIRST MAP OF EDO PUBLISHED IN EUROPE 1727

Estimate: $500 - $1,000

Starting Bid: $250

(0 Bids)

by Soulis Auctions
June 27, 2026 11:30 AM CDT
Live Auction
529 West Lone Jack-Lee’s Summit Rd
Lone Jack, MO, US 64070

Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716) And Published By Johann Caspar Scheuchzer

Ichnographia Urbis JEDO, quae Japonici Imperij Metropolis.

1727

The 18th century copperplate engraving map with original hand-coloring from the first English edition of Kaempfer's The History of Japan maps the city of Edo (Tokyo) at a time when foreigners were strictly forbidden from doing so. This was during the time Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world. Kaempfer essentially committed cartographic espionage with this map that provided the most accurate view of Tokyo available to the West for nearly a century. The map is bordered on two sides by sixty family crests of the Japanese nobility and a an illustration of decorative poles from the signaling standards used by the Edo fire brigades is displayed lower right. Edo was officially renamed Tokyo in 1868.

Sight size measures 14 x 16 with a framed size of 19.75 x 21.5 inches.

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  • Provenance: The estate of John Adair Jr. (1942-2025), founder and proprietor of Kurofune Antiques in Tokyo (est. 1978), a world-renowned destination for Japanese basketry, prints and furniture featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal.
  • Dimensions: Sight size measures 14 x 16 with a framed size of 19.75 x 21.5 inches.
  • Medium: Prints
  • Circa: 1727

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $99,999 $2,000
$100,000 + $10,000