Kenneth Ch'en on the Ricci Map

The Nile, where people are naturally good at astronomy

Ch'en, Kenneth and Matteo Ricci. "Matteo Ricci's Contribution to, and Influence on, Geographical Knowledge in China." Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 59, No. 3 (Sep., 1939), pp. 325-359.

This is a great example of a paper that steps back and, through simple narration of the contents researched, delivers a complete entertainment -- a whole world created, a whole drama acted out.

It may be outlined very briefly as follows:


Reporting on recent research in Peking in 1939, Professor Ch'en tells us that the map he is studying was probably produced eight times in succession by Matteo Ricci, who improved his map with each copy. These eight originals were then copied by those who recognized the map's value. Prof. Ch'en himself identified a certain barkeep who had this interest:

Another copy of the map may be found in Peking, owned by a wine merchant named Nicolai, who operates a wine shop in the Legation Quarters.

Following, Ch'en describes the contents of the map itself, all of the text boxes and general description and evaluation of the maps contents. It provided a tremendous amount of information in Chinese that was never available before: the five continents, the sphericity of the earth, the system of fixing meridians, the names of places outside China. The concept of the globe, and a global people. Of course, the modern global world was still a bit young, 1584-1608. It shouldn't surprise us that Ricci has some queer notions:

England : England has no poisonous snakes or other kinds of insects. Such things may be introduced into the country, but as soon as they reach the place they lose their poisonous nature.

I love that always when he exaggerates about Europeans, he does so in a positive way. Europe is a paradise, for "workers are skillful and clever, while the people are well-
versed in astronomy and philosophy." The Africans too, can be civilized, at least around the Nile:

Ni-lo 泥羅, (Nile River). This river, the longest on earth, empties into the ocean through seven mouths. Throughout the year there are no clouds in this region and so the inhabitants become good astronomers.

Sadly, the drama becomes tragedical when we discover that many Chinese readers couldn't handle the new reality represented in the map. In the end, the map ceased to have any influence over Chinese intellectual history.

The severe and uncompromising attitude expressed against Ricci by the imperial scholars sounded the death knell for Ricci's map. Nowhere do we find any favorable comment. It was no wonder that thereafter the work of the great Jesuit ceased to exercise its
influence over the thinking of the Chinese.

What factors caused this rapid decline of Ricci's influence?

Several may be advanced. In the first place there was the self-complacency of the Chinese. ...

Of course, before we pass judgment, we should think to ourselves whether the current culture could do any better, confronted with new knowledge of such incredible proportions as the very shape and nature of the earth.

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Reading Group: The Ricci Map

Illustration: "Conception of Heaven and Earth," an inset on the first panel of the map. The three disks described in the passage below are clearly visible here.

Our school has come into possession of a huge, 1602 world map by Matteo Ricci.

UPDATE: Today's New York Times profiles the map in its current exhibition space at the Library of Congress. Thanks to my new friend RAA for the link!

The piece is so large and sprawling that only when you hunker down and stare at it in detail does it start to become clear how staggering an accomplishment it is. What a testament to the Jesuit passion for knowledge and craftsmanship! Surely this adds powerfully, or could have, to the Chinese sense of self?

Below the fold, my in-progress look at the document.


A digital copy of the map is available here.

A simpler, single-file version is on Wikipedia. I'm working on getting a printout of this. The text of the colophon seems to be on Wikipedia as well, juan 75 in a larger document called "Gazetteer of Maps of Seas and States" 海國圖誌.

Ann points out that Prof. Kenneth Ch'en wrote a paper on the subject back in 1939:

Ch'en, Kenneth and Matteo Ricci. "Matteo Ricci's Contribution to, and Influence on, Geographical Knowledge in China." Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 59, No. 3 (Sep., 1939), pp. 325-359. (My notes on that here)

Our little group set to work to translate from the beginning of the colophon. Here's our progress so far:

◎國地總論中（原無今補）○利瑪竇《地圖說》

General Statement on States and Regions (Original, without modern supplement)

From Matteo Ricci, Sayings on Maps 地圖說


地與海本是圓形而合為一球，居天球之中，形（誠）如雞子，黃在青內。有謂地為方者，乃語其定而不移之性，非語其形體也。天既(槩)包地，則彼此相應。

Earth and sea originally are round in shape and matched to make one globe which resides in the center of the Heavenly Globe, in form like a chicken's egg, the yellow inside of the clear. Those who call the earth "square" are speaking of its fixed certitude and immobile nature; they are not speaking of the shape of the body. Heaven covers and extends completely over the earth, and so each reflects the other.

故天有南北二極，地亦有之，天分三百六十度，地亦同之，天中有赤道，自赤道而南二十三度半為南道，赤道而北二十三度半為北道。按中國在北道之北


Thus it is that Heaven has the two Southern and Northern poles, and Earth also has them. Heaven is divided into 360 degrees, and Earth also shares this. The middle of Heaven has an Equator (chidao). From this Equator 23.5 half degrees south, we have the Southern Road. Twenty-three and a half degrees north of this Equator is called the Northern Road. The placement of China is to the north of the Northern Road.

日行赤道，則晝夜平，行南道則晝短，行北道則晝長。故天球有晝夜平圈列於中，晝短晝長二圈列於南北，以著日行之界，地球亦設三圈，對於下焉。

When then sun progresses at the Equator, day and night are equal. Progress along the Southern Road makes for days that are short; progress along the Northern Road makes for days that are long. Thus the Celestial Globe has a Disk of Equal Day and Night set in its midst, and and two Disks, one for shorter days and one for longer days, set in the south and north, respectively; these mark out the boundaries of the progression of the sun. The Earth also is set up with three disks, which face opposite too and are beneath these (?)

A close up of the "Equator, Line of Days and Nights Being Equal," just above the Southern Road, here labeled as "Line of Shorter Days."

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