1667 · Engraved book frontispiece
Frontispiece to China Illustrata
Athanasius Kircher and an unidentified engraver
Why it matters
The frontispiece makes the Jesuit purpose explicit. Schall and Ricci display China beneath sacred authority, showing that geographic and ethnographic knowledge was assembled not only to explain the empire but also to validate a missionary project.
- Publication
- China monumentis, qua sacris qua profanis
- Holding institution
- Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla, Fondo Antiguo
- Shelfmark
- Digital collection book 3451
Kircher, Athanasius. Frontispiece to China Illustrata. Amsterdam, 1667. Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla, Fondo Antiguo, digital collection book 3451.
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