World maps & models

Ricci’s Chinese-language world map

Historical record

Chinese-European collaboration; compare continental outlines and placement, not evidence of hidden polar territory.

What this record establishes

Institutional record documented; does not authenticate interpretations.

Record details

Original title
Kunyu wanguo quantu
Artifact date
1602
Creator
Matteo Ricci with Li Zhizao and Chinese collaborators
Holding institution
University of Minnesota, James Ford Bell Library
Classification
World map

Antarctica connection

Contextual visual history; not direct evidence about Antarctica

Relevance and caution

Chinese-European collaboration; compare continental outlines and placement, not evidence of hidden polar territory.

Catalog context

Curatorial navigation label; original categories and source identity retained.

Kun yu wan guo quan tu, 1602

Ricci’s 1602 world map, James Ford Bell Foundation copy. The two three-panel LOC scans are shown side by side with a visible gap; this is a contact layout, not an invisibly stitched reconstruction. Conjectural southern geography is not a modern Antarctic survey.

Matteo Ricci with Li Zhizao and Chinese collaborators, 1602. James Ford Bell Foundation copy; digital reproduction: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, LCCN 2010585650.

Image source record · Reuse terms

Image rights and evidence limits

LOC Geography and Map Division: free to use and reuse unless contrary Rights Advisory; none present on exact record.

Image existence does not prove a linked claim. Consult image-specific captions and reuse conditions.

Sources and what they support

Links document the record, the claim’s circulation, an assessment, or reuse terms as labeled. A source link is not automatically corroboration.

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