Large 4to (353 x 343mm.), 13 FINELY-DRAWN MANUSCRIPT MAPS IN INK AND COLOURS, each with facing Chinese calligraphy in a fine hand, on paper mounted as double-pages edged with yellow brocade silk, and 4 double-page endpapers FINELY PAINTED IN GOLD: 2 depicting five-clawed dragons among clouds and 2 depicting millet stalks, the album bound concertina style, brocade-silk covered boards, gold label on upper cover with title

Produced in c.1752 under the direction of Fang Guancheng; Sir Thomas Phillipps (MS 18056), purchased at Puttick and Simpson sale in 1864; Lionel and Philip Robinson, acquisition with the 'residue' of the Phillipps Collection in 1946; sale in these rooms: The Library of Philip Robinson, Part II, The Chinese Collection, 22 November 1988, lot 211

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A FINELY PRODUCED SET OF MAPS OF SHUNTIAN PREFECTURE AROUND THE IMPERIAL CITY OF BEIJING, probably made for the Imperial library in Beijing. Later in the collection of SIR THOMAS PHILLIPPS (see provenance). These maps were compiled under the direction of Fang Guancheng, Governor-General of Shili province, and the high quality of the maps and calligraphy suggests this work may have been produced in the imperial workshops in Beijing. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, Beijing was also referred to as Shuntian. The 13 maps encompass part of the area around Beijing, then known as Shuntian Prefecture, an administrative region equivalent to today’s Beijing Municipality. Shuntian Prefecture was then a part of Zhili province which occupied a large area corresponding to modern day Hebei province and parts of adjacent provinces. An eminent Chinese librarian has stated that this album comprises all of the areas under the jurisdiction of Shuntian prefecture at the time. The album is thus complete in itself. Other areas around Beijing not shown in this album were under the direct jurisdiction of the capital at the time. The maps contain an extraordinary amount of detail – geographical features, towns, temples etc. – all named with exquisitely fine calligraphy. The relief granaries are shown with blue roofs and the Great Wall is also in blue – here called ‘bianqiang’ - the Boundary Wall.

The maps are a snapshot in time of the Beijing area at the height of the Qing dynasty under the Qianlong reign. Many of the places have since altered significantly or been destroyed, not least the Miyun area, a large part of which is now under water following the construction of the Miyun Reservoir in the 1950s. The maps are very accurately painted on a traditional Chinese grid system. The side of each grid measures five li - about a third of an English mile or 600 metres. Thus each grid represents an area of 25 square li. The size of the grids are scaled up or down depending on the size of the county so as to allow the image of each county to fill the page comfortably. The maps are oriented with South at the top. The county town on each map is depicted by a blue square with crenellations to reflect the town being walled. Granaries are depicted as small buildings with a blue roof. Imperial travelling palaces (where the Emperor could rest when travelling) are painted as small buildings with yellow roofs. The Great Wall is shown in blue and gates and passes in the wall are painted as buildings with blue roofs above a large central entrance. Hills are painted in grey and rivers in a grey-green. The border of each county is delineated with a blue line. Roads within a county for imperial use are painted in yellow and other roads are shown in red.

The maps are extensively annotated in incredibly fine calligraphy giving names and locations as per all the above. Much of the calligraphy is dedicated to giving the distances of small villages from the nearest relief granary. The accompanying page of calligraphy to each map describes the location of the county or prefecture and its size by giving distances from the county town to the borders of neighbouring areas and beyond to other county seats. The distribution of the granaries is also cited together with the locations of the granaries, which correlate with the granaries depicted on the adjacent map. Overall, the maps contain much detailed topographical information.

The page of calligraphy to each map follows in each case a rigid order. The size of the county is first explained by stating the distance from the county or prefecture seat to the border with adjacent counties and then the county seat of said adjacent county in the following directions and order: East, West, South, North, Southeast, Southwest, Northeast and Northwest.

For example: ‘East to the border with Zunhua County 45 li and to the Zunhua County seat 120 li.’ Having established the size of the county, the number of villages in the county is given and the proposed distribution of granaries within the county – most usually every 20 li. This is followed by the names of the locations of the proposed granaries, which correspond with the granaries depicted on the adjacent map. The calligraphy on all these accompanying pages is done to the most rigorous standards and is of the highest order.

Listing of maps as per their order in the album.

1. Changping Zhou: 昌平州
2. Shunyi Xian: 順義縣
3. Miyun Xian: 密雲縣
4. Huairou Xian: 懷柔縣
5. Zhuo Zhou: 涿州
6. Fangshan Xian: 房山縣
7. Ba Zhou: 霸州
8. Wen’an Xian: 文安縣
9. Dacheng Xian: 大成縣
10. Baoding Xian: 保定縣
11. Ji Zhou: 薊州
12. Pinggu Xian: 平谷縣
13. Yanqing Ya: 延慶衙