Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms: Humans, Volume 13

Page 4

The Kingdom of Little Ryukyu

The accompanying woodcut depicts a man representing the inhabitants of Little Ryukyu. He has a distinctive hairstyle with a bald crown and hair on the sides, is barefoot, and wears a simple robe. This visual representation distinguishes these people from the more "civilized" inhabitants of Great Ryukyu described on the previous page, who were shown wearing shoes and more elaborate Ming-style garments.

The Kingdom of Little Ryukyu original: 小琉球國 (Xiao Liuqiu Guo). In Ming Dynasty records, this term was most frequently used to refer to the island of Taiwan, though geographical distinctions between the various island chains were often fluid. is located near the southeast. This territory is under the jurisdiction of a Prince original: 王子 (Wangzi). This suggests a local ruler or hereditary chieftain..

The land produces glass Boli (玻瓈): A term used in historical Chinese texts to refer to both imported colored glass and high-quality natural rock crystals., famous incense, and rare treasures.